Federal prisons would ban gender-affirming care, restrict housing by 'biological sex'
H.R. 1015 — Prison Rape Prevention Act of 2025 · Filed by Nancy Mace (R-SC) · 5 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 5, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends federal prison law to require the Bureau of Prisons to house and transport incarcerated people only with others of the same 'biological sex' (defined by reproductive system characteristics), and prohibits the Bureau from furnishing or paying for any 'gender-related medical treatment'—defined to include hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgeries related to gender transition, with narrow exceptions for intersex conditions and treatment of complications from prior transition care.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a blanket prohibition on gender-related medical treatment in federal prisons and a housing/transport mandate based on 'biological sex.' Despite the title invoking 'Prison Rape Prevention,' the bill does not establish new safety protocols or address sexual assault directly—it restricts medical access and housing placement for a specific population.
What the text implies
- Prisoners already receiving hormone therapy or puberty blockers will have treatment abruptly discontinued, potentially causing medical harm and psychological distress.
- The definition of 'biological sex' based on reproductive system characteristics may create practical classification problems for intersex individuals and those with prior medical interventions, leading to arbitrary housing assignments.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Incarcerated people lose access to medical care that may be medically necessary or already in progress, and transgender and non-binary prisoners face housing and transportation restrictions that increase vulnerability to violence and isolation. The bill restricts a vulnerable population's medical autonomy and safety without clear public-safety justification.