Bill > SB115

This bill proposes comprehensive restrictions on gender modification medical procedures and treatments in Texas, focusing on three main areas: civil liability, government health plan coverage, and public funding. The bill defines gender modification procedures broadly, including surgeries like castration, hysterectomy, and hormone treatments that alter biological sex characteristics. It introduces strict liability for health insurers and medical providers, meaning they can be held financially responsible for lifetime medical costs associated with these procedures. The legislation prohibits governmental entities from using public funds for such treatments and bars specific state health plans (including Medicaid and child health plans) from covering gender modification procedures. However, the bill provides exceptions for individuals born with verified genetic disorders of sex development or those who do not have typical sex chromosome structures. The bill creates new legal frameworks that impose significant financial risks on healthcare providers and insurers offering these treatments, effectively making it extremely challenging to access gender modification procedures in Texas. The provisions will take effect on September 1, 2025, and apply to health benefit plans and potential legal actions from that date forward. The legislative findings suggest the bill is motivated by concerns about potential financial motivations in the medical community and potential long-term health impacts of such procedures.

Government Affairs

https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=SB115