Republicans help defeat bill that would’ve jailed parents of trans kids

[Jessica_Rose]

Republicans help defeat bill that would've jailed parents of trans kids

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/04/republicans-help-defeat-bill-that-wouldve-jailed-parents-of-trans-kids/?_gl=1*1goyrix*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTk2MjQzMDYxNC4xNzQ0MzAyMjM1*_ga_V18NBPRHD7*MTc0NDMwMjIzMi4xLjAuMTc0NDMwMjIzMi42MC4wLjA.

By Daniel Villarreal (8 April 2025)

Seventeen Republican legislators in the Montana state House helped defeat a bill that would have charged adults with "endangering child welfare" if they obtained gender-affirming medical care — including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy — for any child under the age of 16. The Republicans joined with Democrats to defeat the bill in a 58-40 vote even though the state's Republican-led Senate had already approved its own version. The legislature will soon consider other bans on gender-affirming care, despite this one's defeat.

The bill, S.B. 164, would have punished any adult who "knowingly procures or provides" such care with fines of up to $10,000 and imprisonment of up to five years. The bill would've applied to any adult in the state — even if they obtained gender-affirming care for their kids outside of Montana — including out-of-state tourists, medical workers, and employees of organizations and websites that help trans patients obtain care.

During debate on Tuesday, nonbinary state Rep. SJ Howell noted that the bill didn't contain exceptions for intersex people born with genetic "abnormalities," according to trans journalist Erin Reed.

"We have a lot of tools at our disposal as the legislature to regulate healthcare, but [these] criminal charges are not the appropriate tool," Howell said during their speech, according to Reed. "This bill has a lot of concern for me about parental rights. At the end of the day, there are a lot of parents of trans kids that are just doing what they believe is best for their kids. This criminalizes those parents."