House panel endorses bills to ban medical procedures for transgender minors
Mar. 19—A key House committee endorsed two bills along party lines to prevent minors from getting hormone treatments or breast surgeries tied to their attempts to transition from one gender to another.
State Rep. Lisa Mazur, R-Goffstown, said a growing number of health care providers are declining to provide these procedures because some minors later regret altering their bodies.
"I know this is an emotional subject. The big question to ask is do children change their minds? If so, please pass this bill because it gives them the time they need to truly understand the long-term impacts of these medical decisions," Mazur said.
State Rep. Jessica Lamontagne, D-Dover, chastised Republicans for "hypocrisy," supporting the right of parents to make decisions for their children except when it comes to treatment for transgender minors.
"Most people have no regret with this treatment and feel it has changed their lives," Lamontagne said.
The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee voted by identical 10-8 margins in favor of these bills banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments (HB 377) and breast surgery for minors that is elective (HB 712).
All Republicans on the committee voted for them, all House Democrats opposed them.
The ban on puberty blockers would make providing that treatment a Class B felony that could carry up to a 3 1/2 —to 7-year term in state prison.
Mazur convinced the committee to amend her bill to allow minors who are getting these treatments to wean off of them over up to a six-month period.
Medical providers who gave minors breast surgery services under the second bill could be subject to professional discipline.
The bill would permit minors to receive breast surgery to "treat malignancy, injury, infection, or malformation."
State banned anti-gay conversion therapy in 2018
Rep. Gary Woods, D-Bow, a retired surgeon, said lawmakers should not interfere in the practice of medicine.
"The patient, doctor and parent are involved in medical decision making," Woods said. "What we are asking is for the Legislature to not intervene in that doctor and patient relationship."
Mazur said minors are too young to have these procedures.
"Children will never ever be able to come back from these life-altering surgeries that remove completely healthy body parts," Mazur said.
In 2024, the Republican-led Legislature passed and former Gov. Chris Sununu signed legislation that outlawed minors having surgeries that altered their sex organs.
State Rep. Tim Hartnett, D-Manchester, said the legislation goes too far.
"This bill isn't banning hormone treatment for everybody. It is banning it for one narrow class of people and that's discriminatory," Hartnett added.
Rep. Erica Layon, R-Derry, said many health care providers are reluctant to counsel minors against having these procedures.
That's because the Legislature in 2018 outlawed conversion therapy which is the practice of a clinician trying to encourage patients to be heterosexual, she said.
What's Next: The full House of Representatives will vote on both bills early next month
Prospects: Pretty decent. Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate have supported similar bills in recent years.
klandrigan@unionleader.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
8 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
DeSantis signs boater safety law named for Miami-Dade teen who died in 2022 crash
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Friday a boater safety bill named after a teenage girl who was killed in a Biscayne Bay vessel crash that also seriously injured her friend, and in which the boat's operator initially only faced minor charges. House Bill 289 was named Lucy's Law by its legislative sponsors after 17-year-old Luciana 'Lucy' Fernandez, who was embarking on her senior year at Our Lady of Lourdes Academy when she died in the Sept. 4, 2022, boat crash. The main thrust of the law is that boat drivers whose reckless operation of their vessels result in serious injuries now face felony convictions, previously only a misdemeanor. It also boosts the penalties for providing misleading statements to law enforcement during a boat-crash investigation and boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The Legislature overwhelmingly passed the bill May 2 after a years-long campaign by Lucy's parents, Melissa and Andres Fernandez, to gain lawmakers' support. READ MORE: 'Lucy's Law,' named after teen killed in Biscayne Bay boat crash, passes in session's final hours 'This moment marks not only the fulfillment of a promise, but the continuation of a movement — one born from heartbreak, sustained by hope, and propelled by a shared mission to protect lives and bring meaning out of unimaginable loss,' the Fernandezes said in a statement via The Lucy Fernandez Foundation, a boater safety nonprofit they founded in honor of their daughter. The tragedy shook the tightly-knit South Florida religious school community, as all 12 girls on board the 29-foot Robalo that collided with a fixed channel marker either attended Lourdes, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart or Westminster Christian School. One of those girls, now 20-year-old Katerina Puig — a standout soccer player at Lourdes — suffered traumatic injuries that will likely require a lifetime of physical rehabilitation. The family, including Katerina and her parents, Rudy and Kathya, issued a statement to the Herald thanking the governor for signing the bill. 'We are overcome with joy and deep gratitude to Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing Lucy's Law. This is an emotional and profoundly meaningful moment for our family, and we thank him sincerely for honoring Lucy's legacy in such a powerful way,' the family said. The Puigs also praised the Fernandezes 'for their tireless dedication and perseverance throughout this journey. Your incredible efforts have been an amazing example of love and faith to us all.' An incomplete investigation Compounding the devastating loss of a child and the permanent injuries endured by another, was the way the investigation into the crash was handled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which initially only led to three misdemeanor careless boating counts against the Robalo's driver, Doral real estate broker George Pino, in August 2023. The Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office a year later reexamined the case after witnesses who had never been interviewed by investigators came forward disputing major aspects of the probe. Three of the witnesses — boaters who were at the scene in the aftermath of the crash — spoke to the Miami Herald, prompting a fourth witness to come forward. That witness is a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medic who was on the scene, and said Pino appeared intoxicated when he pulled him from the water, according to sources. When Pino hit the channel marker at nearly 50 mph, his boat capsized, throwing all 14 people on the boat — the 12 teenage girls and George Pino and his wife Cecilia— into the bay on that Sunday evening of Labor Day weekend. They were returning to Ocean Reef Club in north Key Largo after a day celebrating his daughter's 18th birthday on Elliott Key. Lucy was trapped under the boat after the crash and died the next day in a hospital. Katerina was found unconscious in the water along with another girl, Isabella Rodriguez, who has recovered. Pino told the FWC investigators that a larger boat's wake caused him to lose control of his boat. However, all of the witnesses — including those who were on his boat — as well as photographic and global positioning satellite data, dispute that claim. Last October, the State Attorney's Office dropped the misdemeanors and charged Pino with reckless boating resulting in death — or vessel homicide — a second-degree felony. Prosecutors homed in on GPS data from Pino's boat, which they determined contradicted his version of events prior to striking the concrete channel marker. But, in order to re-charge Pino, the Puig family had to agree to drop the careless boating count related to Katerina's injuries. That was because Florida law did not have a felony charge for the reckless operation of a boat that resulted in serious injuries. Had Pino pleaded guilty to the misdemeanors at any time before prosecutors charged him with the felony, his maximum penalty if convicted would have been 60 days in county jail and a $500 fine. He now faces up to 15 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the vessel-homicide charge. His trial is scheduled for the fall, but the witness list has grown to dozens of people, meaning, with depositions, that's likely to be pushed back. Changes to boating laws Under Lucy's Law, reckless boating resulting in serious injury is now a third-degree felony, instead of a misdemeanor. Reckless boating resulting in death remains as a second-degree felony. And, anyone convicted of boating-under-the-influence manslaughter will be punished with a mandatory minimum four-year prison sentence. If the operator of a vessel in a crash that results in the death of a person provides misleading statements to police, that person could be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor under the new law. Lucy's Law originally contained another stipulation that would have impacted Florida's deeply ingrained boating culture regarding vessel safety training. Florida law requires those born after Jan. 1, 1988 — or those 37 years old and younger — to complete a boater-safety course before they can operate a vessel. Lucy's Law would have expanded that requirement to those older than 37, but who haven't lived in Florida for five consecutive years at the time they first began operating a boat. That part of the bill was stripped before the final vote. According to the FWC's latest data, in 2023, 83% of boat operators in fatal accidents had no formal boating education. The Puigs, in their statement also thanked the bill's sponsors, Representatives Vicki Lopez and Vanessa Oliver, and said that in a state that has more than 1 million registered boat owners and leads the nation in fatal vessel crashes, more needs to be done to prevent the types of tragedy that took Lucy's life and forever changed Katerina's. 'The need for enhanced boater safety and education is undeniable. It is our hope that Lucy's Law will help prevent future tragedies and save lives. Lucy's life was beautiful, and now her memory will help protect others. This law is a step toward ensuring that no family has to endure the heartbreak that changed Katy's life forever.'
Yahoo
11 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Senators launch a weekend of work to meet Trump's deadline for passing his tax and spending cuts
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is preparing for a key procedural vote Saturday as Republicans race to pass President Donald Trump's package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered deportation funds by his July Fourth deadline. Republicans are using their majorities in Congress to push aside Democratic opposition, but they have run into a series of political and policy setbacks. Not all GOP lawmakers are on board with proposals to reduce spending on Medicaid, food stamps and other programs as a way to help cover the cost of extending some $3.8 trillion in Trump tax breaks. Ahead of the expected roll call, the White House released a statement of administrative policy saying it 'strongly supports passage' of the bill that 'implements critical aspects' of the president's agenda. Trump himself was at his golf course in Virginia on Saturday with GOP senators posting about it on social media. "It's time to get this legislation across the finish line," said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., though the vote time was still uncertain. The 940-page bill was released shortly before midnight Friday, and senators are expected to grind through the days ahead with hours of potentially all-night debate and countless amendments. Senate passage could be days away, and the bill would need to return to the House for a final round of votes before it could reach the White House. With the narrow Republicans majorities in the House and Senate, leaders need almost every lawmaker on board in the face of essentially unified opposition from Democrats. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, opened the day's session with an impassioned defense of the package that he said has been misrepresented by its critics. 'Read it for yourself,' he said. Make-or-break moment for GOP The weekend session could be a make-or-break moment for Trump's party, which has invested much of its political capital on his signature domestic policy plan. Trump is pushing Congress to wrap it up, even as he sometimes gives mixed signals, allowing for more time. At recent events at the White House, including Friday, Trump has admonished the 'grandstanders' among GOP holdouts to fall in line. 'We can get it done,' Trump said in a social media post. 'It will be a wonderful Celebration for our Country.' The legislation is an ambitious but complicated series of GOP priorities. At its core, it would make permanent many of the tax breaks from Trump's first term that would otherwise expire by year's end if Congress fails to act, resulting in a potential tax increase on Americans. The bill would add new breaks, including no taxes on tips, and commit $350 billion to national security, including for Trump's mass deportation agenda. But the spending cuts that Republicans are relying on to offset the lost tax revenues are causing dissent within the GOP ranks. Some lawmakers say the cuts go too far, particularly for people receiving health care through Medicaid. Meanwhile, conservatives, worried about the nation's debt, are pushing for steeper cuts. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he remains concerned about the fundamentals of the package and will not support the procedural motion to begin debate. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has been opposed to the measure to raise the nation's debt limit by $5 trillion. And Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., pushing for deeper cuts, said he needed to see the final legislative text. After setbacks, Republicans revise some proposals The release of that draft had been delayed as the Senate parliamentarian reviewed the bill to ensure it complied with the chamber's strict 'Byrd Rule,' named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd, It largely bars policy matters from inclusion in budget bills unless a provision can get 60 votes to overcome objections. That would be a tall order in a Senate with a 53-47 GOP edge and Democrats unified against Trump's bill. Republicans suffered a series of setbacks after several proposals were determined to be out of compliance by the chief arbiter of the Senate's rules. One plan would have shifted some food stamp costs from the federal government to the states; a second would have gutted the funding structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. But over the past days, Republicans have quickly revised those proposals and reinstated them. The final text includes a proposal for cuts to a Medicaid provider tax that had run into parliamentary objections and opposition from several senators worried about the fate of rural hospitals. The new version extends the start date for those cuts and establishes a $25 billion fund to aid rural hospitals and providers. Most states impose the provider tax as a way to boost federal Medicaid reimbursements. Some Republicans argue that is a scam and should be abolished. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that under the House-passed version of the bill, some 10.9 million more people would go without health care and at least 3 million fewer would qualify for food aid. The CBO has not yet publicly assessed the Senate draft, which proposes steeper reductions. Top income-earners would see about a $12,000 tax cut under the House bill, while the package would cost the poorest Americans $1,600, the CBO said. SALT dispute shakes things up The Senate included a compromise over the so-called SALT provision, a deduction for state and local taxes that has been a top priority of lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states, but the issue remains unsettled. The current SALT cap is $10,000 a year, and a handful of Republicans wanted to boost it to $40,000 a year. The final draft includes a $40,000 cap, but for five years instead of 10. Many Republican senators say that is still too generous. At least one House GOP holdout, Rep. Nick LaLota of New York, had said that would be insufficient. Trump's deadline nears Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Republicans dropped the bill 'in the dead of night' and are rushing to finish the bill before the public fully knows what's in it. House Speaker Mike Johnson, who sent his colleagues home for the weekend with plans to be on call to return to Washington, had said they are 'very close' to finishing up. 'We would still like to meet that July Fourth, self-imposed deadline,' said Johnson, R-La. Johnson and Thune have stayed close to the White House, relying on Trump to pressure holdout lawmakers.
The Hill
15 minutes ago
- The Hill
Schumer to force reading of 1,000-page GOP mega bill, delaying it by half a day
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) told Democratic senators Saturday that he will force the clerks to read the 1,000-page Republican megabill on the Senate floor once Republicans vote to proceed to the legislation, a procedural act of defiance that will take an estimated 12 hours and delay final passage of President Trump's agenda by half a day — at least. Schumer told his caucus to prepare to force a full reading of the bill, according to a Democratic source familiar with the internal discussion over floor strategy. The question is whether Senate GOP leaders will force the clerks to read the bill late into Saturday night and early Sunday morning to complete the time-and energy-consuming task or whether staff will get some time to sleep before the Senate is expected to launch into a multi-hour series of votes known as a vote-a-rama. Senate Republicans were anticipating that Schumer might force a reading of the bill as an act of protest. This is a developing story.
