Federal law criminalizes taking a minor across state lines for gender-affirming care.

What it does

This bill creates a federal crime for knowingly transporting a minor across state lines to obtain gender-affirming medical procedures (puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or surgeries), punishable by up to 10 years in prison. It also allows minors or their parents to sue for damages and withholds federal funding from states that permit such transportation or refuse to cooperate with federal investigations.

Why we flagged it

The bill's operative mechanism is a federal criminal prohibition on interstate transportation for a specific category of medical procedures, coupled with federal funding penalties for non-cooperating states. This is fundamentally a restriction on medical access and interstate mobility, not a trafficking prevention measure in the traditional sense.

What the text implies

• The bill's definition of 'gender transition procedure' includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy, which are reversible interventions; the criminal statute does not distinguish reversibility, potentially criminalizing medical care that is not permanent.
• The civil action provision (subsection b) creates a private right of action for minors or parents to sue for 'compensatory and punitive damages' — this could expose medical providers, parents, and facilitators to unlimited liability even when procedures were lawful in the destination state.
• Federal funding withholding applies to states that 'declare themselves a sanctuary jurisdiction' — this language is undefined and could be weaponized against states with protective policies, creating a chilling effect on state-level medical autonomy.
• The bill does not define 'knowingly' or require proof that the transporter knew the procedures were illegal in the origin state, potentially criminalizing parents who travel to states where procedures are lawful.
• Interstate commerce jurisdiction may conflict with state medical licensing and parental consent laws; the bill does not address how federal criminal liability interacts with state law authorization of the same procedures.

Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.

Who it affects

The bill restricts minors' and parents' ability to travel interstate for lawful medical procedures and creates criminal liability for facilitating such travel, reducing medical autonomy and interstate freedom of movement. While framed as child protection, it criminalizes conduct that may be legal and medically appropriate in the destination state, and the civil liability provisions create a private right of action that could chill legitimate medical care.

Named in the bill

Chapter 55 of title 18, United States Code, Section 1205 (new criminal statute), States (federal funding withholding), Units of local government, Federal investigators

Where it stands

3 cosponsors: 3 Republicans.

• Feb 9, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Feb 9, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government…”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.