Passing the “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” (HR 3492)

The bill

Protect Children’s Innocence Act

Topic: Crime and Law Enforcement

What the bill does

This bill establishes federal criminal offenses for providing gender-affirming care to minors. The bill also changes the existing federal criminal offense that prohibits female genital mutilation (FGM) and related conduct. Specifically, the bill makes it a federal crime to knowingly perform or attempt to perform procedures or provide medications (e.g., hormonal treatments) to a minor for the purpose of changing their body to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex. The bill provides exceptions for specified types of surgeries or procedures, including those for treating (1) individuals who have both ovarian and testicular tissue or abnormal sex chromosome structure or hormones, or (2) infections or other harms that result from a previous gender-transition procedure. A violation is punishable by a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both. The bill prohibits the arrest or prosecution of an individual who undergoes gender-affirming procedures or medications. Additionally, the bill makes changes to the existing federal criminal prohibition on performing FGM on a minor and related conduct.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary

Bill on congress.gov(opens in a new tab)