House passes bill targeting gender-transition procedures for minors; Senate next
Washington, D.C. — A bill that would create new federal crimes tied to certain medical procedures for minors advanced this week after the U.S. House passed H.R. 3492, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
The measure titled the Protect Children’s Innocence Act passed the House on Dec. 17, 2025, and was received in the Senate on Dec. 18 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
As written, the bill would rewrite 18 U.S.C. §116 to prohibit “genital or bodily mutilation” of a minor and “chemical castration” of a minor in specified interstate-commerce circumstances, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison, fines, or both. The text defines covered conduct broadly to include certain surgeries “for the purpose of changing the body…to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex,” as well as puberty blockers and certain hormone regimens described as “supraphysiologic” doses.
The bill includes exceptions for procedures deemed necessary to the health of the minor when performed by a licensed practitioner, but states that “health” does not include mental, behavioral, or emotional distress. It also contains carve-outs for some individuals with certain differences of sex development and for specific medical conditions such as precocious puberty (in limited circumstances).
What parents should do now: If you have a child receiving specialty endocrine or surgical care, consider asking your provider how they would interpret federal changes versus state rules, and keep copies of treatment plans and referrals for continuity of care.
Next, families can watch for a Senate Judiciary committee agenda item or a public hearing notice before any potential floor vote.
This article was produced by a education parenting today journalist with the assistance of AI. This is not legal advice. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
Source: https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section116&num=0&edition=prelim
