Senator Marshall Introduces Bill to Ban Child Sex-Change Procedures with $100K Penalties

Washington - U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), introduced the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors (STOP) Act, landmark federal legislation that bans gender transition procedures performed on minors, imposes strict civil penalties on perpetrators, and for the first time creates a federal compensation fund dedicated to helping victims detransition.

"As an OB-GYN with over two decades of clinical experience, I know firsthand what these irreversible procedures do to children," said Senator Marshall. "These are not medical treatments - they are child abuse. The STOP Act sends a clear message: if you harm a child by performing these procedures, there will be serious consequences. Our children deserve nothing less."

This bill is co-sponsored by Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah.)

"There are kids in America receiving life-altering gender surgeries before they graduate high school. There are kids being given hormone blockers that can cause bone loss, depression, and myriad other medical issues when they should be playing hopscotch and riding bikes," said Senator Mike Lee. "Our kids deserve safe childhoods and informed consent, but instead they have harmful procedures pushed on them by predatory doctors who won't have to live with the consequences. I'm proud to cosponsor the STOP Act to outlaw risky gender transition procedures on minors, empower victims to sue for damages, and award the penalty funds from criminal doctors to their victims as recovery compensation."

The bill was introduced in the House of Representative by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tennessee.)

"As a pharmacist and a mother, protecting patients - especially children - has always been my top priority," said Representative Diana Harshbarger. "The STOP Act draws a clear line: irreversible sex-rejecting procedures should not be performed on minors. It builds on my home state of Tennessee's law, upheld by the Supreme Court, affirming that protecting children from these dangerous interventions is a compelling government interest. I'm proud to join Senator Roger Marshall in introducing this legislation to restore accountability, support those harmed, and put children's safety first."

What the STOP Act Does:

• Prohibits any person from knowingly performing, attempting to perform, conspiring to perform, or otherwise aiding or abetting any gender transition procedure on a minor under age 18 - including but not limited to puberty blockers, high-dose cross-sex hormones, mastectomies, hysterectomies, genital surgeries, and facial procedures.
• Imposes a civil monetary penalty of at least $100,000 per violation, collectible by the Attorney General, with employers and clinics also held accountable.
• Creates a private right of action for victims of gender transition procedures - or their parent, guardian, or caretaker if the victim was still a minor - to sue in federal court for damages.
• Establishes the "Victims of Gender Transition Procedures Compensation Fund" in the U.S. Treasury - funded by civil penalties collected from offenders - to provide grants to private nonprofits that assist individuals who are detransitioning.

Background:

• Under intense pressure from radical gender ideologues, an estimated 14,000 minors have been manipulated into undergoing life-altering sex change procedures that leave them maimed, sterilized, and psychologically damaged.
• President Trump's 2025 executive order banning the use of federal funds for gender transition procedures on minors was a critical first step. The STOP Act codifies and strengthens those protections in permanent federal law.
• The STOP Act is endorsed by the American Principles Project (APP), Students for Life of America (SFLA), and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC).

"No child is born in the wrong body-they just have the wrong doctor. The STOP Act will ban irreversible sex change procedures for children, a common sense solution that enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. The transgender industry has built a $4 billion empire fueled by the sterilization and mutilation of vulnerable adults and children. The STOP Act is a vital first step to protecting families and restoring sanity to healthcare. Thank you to Senator Marshall for his continued efforts to protect American children from this predatory industry," said Terry Schilling, President of the American Principles Project.

"What a gift it is to know that the same God who made the universe, made each one of us with intention, love, and care. Southern Baptists hold that God's design for creation includes the gift of gender, an immutable characteristic reflecting the very nature of our Creator. Yet, our cultural embrace of the radical sexual revolution has deceived people into denouncing truth and embracing harmful ideologies, especially among children. The ERLC is grateful to Sen. Marshall for introducing the STOP Act in the Senate to protect children from dangerous 'gender transition' drugs and procedures that cause irrevocable harm. Our government has a responsibility to safeguard its citizens, of which children are among the most vulnerable, and we are encouraged to see legislation that prioritizes their protection," said Dr. Gary Hollingsworth, Interim President of the ERLC.

Exclusive coverage of the bill can be found here.

Full bill text can be found here.

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