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<bill bill-stage="Introduced-in-House" dms-id="H94303FE558974837BA5B7534A89CB9BA" public-private="public" key="H" bill-type="olc">
<metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dublinCore>
<dc:title>119 HR 4953 IH: Gender-Affirming Child Abuse Prevention Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. House of Representatives</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-08-12</dc:date>
<dc:format>text/xml</dc:format>
<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
</dublinCore>
</metadata>
<form>
<distribution-code display="yes">I</distribution-code>
<congress display="yes">119th CONGRESS</congress><session display="yes">1st Session</session>
<legis-num display="yes">H. R. 4953</legis-num>
<current-chamber>IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</current-chamber>
<action display="yes">
<action-date date="20250812">August 12, 2025</action-date>
<action-desc><sponsor name-id="M000194">Ms. Mace</sponsor> introduced the following bill; which was referred to the <committee-name committee-id="HJU00">Committee on the Judiciary</committee-name></action-desc>
</action>
<legis-type>A BILL</legis-type>
<official-title display="yes">To authorize a civil right of action for individuals on whom gender-related medical treatment was performed while such individual was a minor, and for other purposes.</official-title>
</form>
<legis-body id="H130240B68B7A4D399413872C305840DD" style="OLC"> 
<section id="HBBDB983AAE704489A7AB9F291E6C92F4" section-type="section-one"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Gender-Affirming Child Abuse Prevention Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section> <section id="H8E6B6631A8F14DBABB5A9B4AA967C185"><enum>2.</enum><header>Civil right of action related to gender-related medical treatment</header> <subsection id="H8AE0BC4B2D1747E9885C3BA4CCDD026C"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Civil action</header> <paragraph id="H6579D59F365E492B8B8801EF7AFF99F5"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Right of action</header> <subparagraph id="HA00B895276F947EF8B44D77B48153614"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Except as provided in paragraph (4), an individual on whom gender-affirming care was performed while such individual was a minor, in a circumstance described in paragraph (3) may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States against each person who performed the gender-affirming care for relief set forth in paragraph (2).</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="HCD5646E0858D46B4A24B928B48A95B5F"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Rights on behalf of certain individuals</header><text>In the case of an individual who is under 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased, the legal guardian of the individual or representative of the individual’s estate, another family member, or any other person appointed as suitable by the court, may assume the individual’s rights under this section.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> <paragraph id="H2A40D49F891E4FBFBBE9A79E0A59B924"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Relief</header><text>An individual may recover the actual damages sustained by the individual or liquidated damages in the amount of $250,000 for each instance of gender affirming care being performed on the individual while such individual was a minor, and the cost of the action, including reasonable attorney’s fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred.</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H3B7E22EA62EF47328E807C6CB4D432E5"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Circumstances described</header><text>For the purposes of paragraph (1), the circumstances described in this paragraph are that—</text> <subparagraph id="H222248C8E6C54A3891305394582470A6"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the defendant or victim traveled in interstate or foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in paragraph (1);</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H4041C4AA6A2A487F9DFA29CF72ABFAD7"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the defendant used a means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in paragraph (1);</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H5B9083661EDE4B1298B445E462539BF6"><enum>(C)</enum><text>any payment of any kind was made, directly or indirectly, in furtherance of or in connection with the conduct described in paragraph (1) using any means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce;</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H08D8A0C827FE4DE19C4739ACB130268C"><enum>(D)</enum><text>the defendant transmitted in interstate or foreign commerce any communication relating to or in furtherance of the conduct described in paragraph (1) using any means, channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce by any means or in manner, including by computer, mail, wire, or electromagnetic transmission;</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H5A8DA207306F4B638EFE320D1C9DF275"><enum>(E)</enum><text>any instrument, item, substance, or other object that has traveled in interstate or foreign commerce was used to perform the conduct described in paragraph (1);</text></subparagraph> 
<subparagraph id="H9DEE276AEBB148F89C8BA65C614A777F"><enum>(F)</enum><text>the conduct described in paragraph (1) occurred within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or any territory or possession of the United States; or</text></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H59830938B5B645B385138FF354A33421"><enum>(G)</enum><text>the conduct described in paragraph (1) otherwise occurred in or affected interstate or foreign commerce.</text></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection> 
<subsection id="H29082126E9C04D978D634DD1B80CAFBA"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text>In this section—</text> <paragraph id="H341F0D62E6F4406781666C26570C684A"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Gender-related medical treatment</header><text>The term <quote>gender-related medical treatment</quote>—</text> 
<subparagraph id="H42299C00418E463AA4A23EFE0A88E0ED"><enum>(A)</enum><text>means—</text> <clause id="HA7C311F5DE64464F8409CF1693B6FF4F"><enum>(i)</enum><text>with respect to a female individual, medical treatments provided for purposes of addressing the perception of such individual that the gender or sex of such individual is not female, including—</text> 
<subclause id="H4EC614896CB54DF4B5802103FC05ACF7"><enum>(I)</enum><text>surgical procedures, including—</text> <item id="HCB8EC432221B448FACEB8206D9D7FD36"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>vaginectomy;</text></item> 
<item id="H2405D20F09A64116A6296795DF6062E4"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>hysterectomy;</text></item> <item id="H45AC6234A43A4A808688264FCBC96A04"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>oophorectomy;</text></item> 
<item id="HBCBD4A9CF51E411BA5D001830CD4926A"><enum>(dd)</enum><text>reconstruction of the urethra;</text></item> <item id="H1699D549ECCD469EBD3484F5C8B2C74E"><enum>(ee)</enum><text>metoidioplasty;</text></item> 
<item id="H2FA47637E3434974A29E1EED1508AE51"><enum>(ff)</enum><text>phalloplasty;</text></item> <item id="H8F01B37B6A5A461F82F758206874895D"><enum>(gg)</enum><text>salpingo-oophorectomy;</text></item> 
<item id="H7D17A14F7C244D43B238E5A4E0249B26"><enum>(hh)</enum><text>scrotoplasty;</text></item> <item id="H423E6F21EAE14CECBDD1497F945F73C2"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>implantation of erection or testicular protheses;</text></item> 
<item id="H83D99679BA96474DB183AAEED8393871"><enum>(jj)</enum><text>subcutaneous mastectomy;</text></item> <item id="H0A70D90848164C82AAF8CE6BCD25189B"><enum>(kk)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">vocal cord surgery;</text></item> 
<item id="HD41B44CE2C7E4933A4606AE49AE48BB4"><enum>(ll)</enum><text>pectoral implants; and</text></item> <item id="HC5FC011CA8374724AF4FDD07C7B0C84B"><enum>(mm)</enum><text>penile transplantation;</text></item></subclause> 
<subclause id="HBF0DBA259FB644A7BE71A7D61E353D7F"><enum>(II)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">exogenous doses of testosterone or other androgens;</text></subclause> <subclause id="H7670DEF3B3EE4F1097B4FBC7C8300588"><enum>(III)</enum><text>puberty blockers, including—</text> 
<item id="H4461A320E10246DBBE3DB523E3751490"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>GnRH agonists; and</text></item> <item id="H98D94AC4700D4C68B323713D4DA0CF4A"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>synthetic drugs that suppress the production of estrogen and progesterone or delay or suppress pubertal development in female individuals; and</text></item></subclause> 
<subclause id="HFBB6C98C5F294BD894FF735658EAC32C"><enum>(IV)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such other medical treatment, identified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, that may be provided for purposes of addressing the perception of such individual that the gender or sex of such individual is not male.</text></subclause></clause> <clause id="H9F4C863B9F20409CB92A6804B3F5083C"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>with respect to a male individual, medical treatments provided for purposes of addressing the perception of such individual that the gender or sex of such individual is not male, including—</text> 
<subclause id="HE08783CD4D414D55AB0D542319F8CB29"><enum>(I)</enum><text>surgical procedures, including—</text> <item id="H743E7C34040D43ADA129FDB2229FF70C"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>penectomy;</text></item> 
<item id="HA8ED603FB1E644F2ABB140E27AB2825F"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>orchiectomy;</text></item> <item id="H83265C4825154EA9A8A6C44908257787"><enum>(cc)</enum><text>vaginoplasty;</text></item> 
<item id="H9DF59FC93F854F6ABB6276A3384B5C57"><enum>(dd)</enum><text>clitoroplasty;</text></item> <item id="HD7EEB06898DA445685029563D313B48A"><enum>(ee)</enum><text>vulvoplasty;</text></item> 
<item id="H12393F63C03D440FA23515ADFE54379A"><enum>(ff)</enum><text>augmentation mammoplasty;</text></item> <item id="H8AAD42038E2D41949658667662BD1F3F"><enum>(gg)</enum><text>facial feminization surgery;</text></item> 
<item id="H4F84ACA4CAFF4E90A25BB4C564E70E31"><enum>(hh)</enum><text>vocal cord surgery;</text></item> <item id="H4BB4EA88E6EC4B2286F1C67BD5D3FB39"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">chondrolaryngoplasty;</text></item> 
<item id="HA5A2EAADDF82486C8B750BC958BA6F4C"><enum>(jj)</enum><text>gluteal augmentation; and</text></item> <item id="HEF7987A5CCA3452492DABD809ED1BB29"><enum>(kk)</enum><text>uterine transplantation;</text></item></subclause> 
<subclause id="H3BF5DEC8B02F45B39CA38E1A7A642B91"><enum>(II)</enum><text>exogenous doses of estrogen;</text></subclause> <subclause id="HBF435C058CE24EC893A558BFEB1EBC25"><enum>(III)</enum><text>puberty blockers, including—</text> 
<item id="H483C5AEE6B294BBD8043BA71E9E48051"><enum>(aa)</enum><text>GnRH agonists; and</text></item> <item id="HE1E940BF376942A4B228413F5CB92545"><enum>(bb)</enum><text>synthetic drugs that suppress the production of testosterone or delay or suppress pubertal development in male individuals; and</text></item></subclause> 
<subclause id="HA36861BA42AC4F43BBFD34347FF644FE"><enum>(IV)</enum><text>such other medical treatment, identified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, that may be provided for purposes of addressing the perception of such individual that the gender or sex of such individual is not male.</text></subclause></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="H97564A81F8724EC496B9332AB51A6260"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">does not include any medical treatment performed on an individual for the purposes of treating—</text> 
<clause id="H030A089D71FD4137AE247701172FC27A"><enum>(i)</enum><text>a disorder of sex development, diagnosed by a physician after such physician has determined through genetic or biochemical testing that such individual does not have normal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action;</text></clause> <clause id="H6270AF7778144C1FA961AE7A23F17F36"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>irresolvably ambiguous biological sex characteristics of such individual, including the presence of—</text> 
<subclause id="HB8E89F9D2A4B43E7A9916DEC9E77550B"><enum>(I)</enum><text>46 XX chromosomes with virilization;</text></subclause> <subclause id="H20FC9FCAE3CB41E095233FEF107CDAD6"><enum>(II)</enum><text>46 XY chromosomes with undervirilization; or</text></subclause> 
<subclause id="H12E4ED1275EE458B9F42558B699B714E"><enum>(III)</enum><text>both ovarian and testicular tissue; or</text></subclause></clause> <clause id="HE409BCDC7A4F4ABEB9EA90B2E768CBA2"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>an infection, injury, disease, or disorder caused or exacerbated by gender-related medical treatment that was furnished to an individual.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="H7EF2C30D30EA4865A1C3FE3E36DAE208"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Sex</header><text>The term <quote>sex</quote> means the biological determination as to whether an individual is male or female, as such terms are defined in this section.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="HF24B768CC0D741DC8AC8CF484C47F2E0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Gender</header><text>The term <quote>gender</quote>—</text> 
<subparagraph id="HB41490DFC9EE4C16B325FED61AC47D64"><enum>(A)</enum><text>means—</text> <clause id="HDB762B91A7AB4F218DA5FB08A4B12F7A"><enum>(i)</enum><text>males, females, or the natural differences between males and females, unless such term is otherwise specified or used alone (rather than with or as an adjective modifying other words); and</text></clause> 
<clause id="H020966C1CF804CDE8ED65D27877A2CBD"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>a synonym for sex; and</text></clause></subparagraph> <subparagraph id="HA425B4BD59D440A8B48098F7EB2E7B59"><enum>(B)</enum><text>does not mean a synonym for terms or ideas such as gender identity, experienced gender, gender expression, or gender roles.</text></subparagraph></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HCAEF0F35D49444B589315D60AE47B36E"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Female</header><text>The term <quote>female</quote> means an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes eggs for fertilization.</text></paragraph> <paragraph id="H3CA4244CF11D4D58A4A9F330D544D945"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Male</header><text>The term <quote>male</quote> means an individual who naturally has, had, will have, or would have, but for a developmental or genetic anomaly or historical accident, the reproductive system that at some point produces, transports, and utilizes sperm for fertilization.</text></paragraph> 
<paragraph id="HCB7748EFE6BB4EAA978FE7BF25E72F17"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Minor</header><text>The term <quote>minor</quote> means an individual under the age of 18.</text></paragraph></subsection></section> </legis-body> </bill> 

