Bill > HB1668

This bill creates the "Vulnerable Youth Protection Act" in Arkansas, which establishes strict legal provisions regarding medical treatments and social transitions for minors under 18 years old. The bill defines "castration, sterilization, or mutilation" as a broad range of medical procedures including surgeries like mastectomies, hysterectomies, and various gender-affirming treatments, as well as prescription drugs that could affect fertility or puberty. The legislation allows civil lawsuits against anyone who causes or contributes to social transitioning or these medical procedures for minors, with potential damages ranging from $10,000 to $10 million. Plaintiffs can sue up to 15 years after the incident and may recover nominal, compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages, plus attorney's fees. The bill explicitly prohibits state officials from directly enforcing the law and provides robust legal immunity for state actors challenging the law. Notably, the bill includes exceptions for medically necessary treatments for individuals with genetic disorders of sex development and allows continuation of treatments begun before June 1, 2025, under specific counseling conditions. The law is designed to be applied extraterritorially and includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the law is found invalid, the rest can remain in effect.

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https://arkleg.state.ar.us/Bills/Detail?id=hb1668&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R