Texas Republicans have filed dozens of bills affecting LGBTQ people. Here’s what they’d do.

As soon as lawmakers were allowed to file legislation, some Texas Republicans authored bills aimed at hindering or outright prohibiting transgender kids from accessing certain health care treatments.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the issue a priority for the Senate this year and designated Senate Bill 14 as the legislative vehicle to achieve that goal. But SB 14 has not yet been filed, and Patrick hasn’t given details on what specifically it would ban. Still, other lawmakers have filed bills with similar goals.

Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, wants to allow medical providers to decline treatment to any patient for religious views, moral philosophy or “ethical position,” except for during emergency or life-threatening instances. House Bill 319 does not explicitly mention LGBTQ people, but advocates fear the bill would allow doctors to turn people away simply because of their gender or sexual identity. It has been assigned to the House Public Health Committee.

House Bill 41 and Senate Bill 250 would bar physicians from providing minors with puberty blockers or hormone therapies and would ban insurance companies from covering such treatment. Those bills, as originally filed, also seek to ban transition-related surgeries for minors. Medical experts say such procedures are rarely, if ever, performed on children. SB 250 would also revoke the licenses of health care professionals who provide such treatment. It has been referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee. HB 41 has been assigned to the House Public Health Committee.

House Bill 436 from Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, aims to classify health care treatment like puberty blockers and hormone therapy as child abuse if they are administered for the purposes of transitioning. After similar legislation failed in 2021, Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion that equated certain medical treatments and procedures for transgender teens with child abuse. Citing that opinion, Gov. Greg Abbott sent a letter to the Department of Family and Protective Services directing the agency to investigate parents who provided transition-related care to their transgender children. LGBTQ advocacy groups are fighting that directive, which a Travis County judge largely blocked last year. HB 436 has been assigned to the House Public Health Committee.

House Bill 1752 would enable Texans who received puberty blockers and hormone therapy or undergo transition-related surgery to sue providers for up to $10,000 for liabilities if they believe the treatment was harmful. The legislation, from Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, would open health care providers to civil penalties for up to 20 years after the treatment.

Much of the debate will likely center on the age at which such care should be provided. Leading medical groups — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the nation’s top medical association for youth — recommend treatment for children with gender dysphoria, the distress someone can feel when their physical presentation does not align with their gender identity. For teens and youth, this kind of care is often limited to counseling and social transition — using different pronouns or wearing different clothes. But it can at times include the use of medication that temporarily delays the onset of puberty.