The House approved legislation prohibiting gender transition treatments for minors, citing child protection concerns.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved legislation that would criminalize gender transition treatments for minors, including surgeries and the provision of hormones or puberty blockers, and impose severe penalties on medical providers who offer such care. Under the bill, doctors and other health care professionals could face up to ten years in federal prison if convicted.

The measure passed by a narrow margin of 216 to 211 in a sharply divided chamber, reflecting deep partisan disagreements over transgender health care and the role of the federal government in regulating medical decisions affecting children. Civil rights organizations quickly denounced the proposal, describing it as among the most extreme anti-transgender bills ever considered by Congress. Supporters, however, framed the legislation as a necessary step to protect children from what they view as irreversible medical interventions made too early in life.

The vote largely followed party lines, underscoring how polarized the issue has become. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the bill, while most Republicans supported it, though a small number of lawmakers crossed party boundaries. The legislation is not expected to advance in the Senate, where passage would require bipartisan support that currently appears unlikely. Nevertheless, the bill’s passage in the House signaled the priorities of the chamber’s ultraconservative Republican faction and aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s stated agenda. During debate, Republicans repeatedly referenced Trump’s campaign pledges and executive actions aimed at restricting gender-affirming care for minors, portraying the bill as an effort to codify those policies into federal law rather than relying solely on executive authority.

The measure passed by a narrow margin of 216 to 211 in a sharply divided chamber, reflecting deep partisan disagreements over transgender health care and the role of the federal government in regulating medical decisions affecting children. Civil rights organizations quickly denounced the proposal, describing it as among the most extreme anti-transgender bills ever considered by Congress. Supporters, however, framed the legislation as a necessary step to protect children from what they view as irreversible medical interventions made too early in life.

The vote largely followed party lines, underscoring how polarized the issue has become. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the bill, while most Republicans supported it, though a small number of lawmakers crossed party boundaries. The legislation is not expected to advance in the Senate, where passage would require bipartisan support that currently appears unlikely. Nevertheless, the bill’s passage in the House signaled the priorities of the chamber’s ultraconservative Republican faction and aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s stated agenda. During debate, Republicans repeatedly referenced Trump’s campaign pledges and executive actions aimed at restricting gender-affirming care for minors, portraying the bill as an effort to codify those policies into federal law rather than relying solely on executive authority.

The measure passed by a narrow margin of 216 to 211 in a sharply divided chamber, reflecting deep partisan disagreements over transgender health care and the role of the federal government in regulating medical decisions affecting children. Civil rights organizations quickly denounced the proposal, describing it as among the most extreme anti-transgender bills ever considered by Congress. Supporters, however, framed the legislation as a necessary step to protect children from what they view as irreversible medical interventions made too early in life.

The vote largely followed party lines, underscoring how polarized the issue has become. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the bill, while most Republicans supported it, though a small number of lawmakers crossed party boundaries. The legislation is not expected to advance in the Senate, where passage would require bipartisan support that currently appears unlikely. Nevertheless, the bill’s passage in the House signaled the priorities of the chamber’s ultraconservative Republican faction and aligned closely with President Donald Trump’s stated agenda. During debate, Republicans repeatedly referenced Trump’s campaign pledges and executive actions aimed at restricting gender-affirming care for minors, portraying the bill as an effort to codify those policies into federal law rather than relying solely on executive authority.