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The Protect Children’s Innocence Act passed the House yesterday on a yea-and-nay vote 216-211, with 6 representatives not voting, including Joe Courtney (D) from Connecticut.

H.R.3492, the Protect Children’s Innocence Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, establishes federal criminal offenses for providing gender-affirming care to minors. The bill also changes the existing federal criminal offense that prohibits female genital mutilation (FGM) and related conduct. 

The bill would make it a federal crime to "knowingly perform or attempt to perform procedures or provide medications (e.g., hormonal treatments) to a minor for the purpose of changing their body to correspond to a sex that differs from their biological sex."

Exceptions would be set aside for certain types of surgeries or procedures, including those for treating (1) individuals who have both ovarian and testicular tissue or abnormal sex chromosome structure or hormones, or (2) infections or other harms that result from a previous gender-transition procedure.

A violation of the bill would be punishable by a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both.

The bill prohibits the arrest or prosecution of an individual who undergoes gender-affirming procedures or medications. 

Additionally, the bill makes changes to the existing federal criminal prohibition on performing FGM on a minor and related conduct, broadening the scope of prohibited conduct to include the facilitation or consent to FGM by any person (currently, prohibited facilitation or consent applies only to a parent, guardian, or caretaker of the minor). The bill also prohibits the arrest or prosecution of an individual who undergoes gender-affirming procedures or medications or FGM. The applicable criminal penalty of a fine, a prison term of up to 10 years, or both, remain the same. 

Four House members from Connecticut voted "nay" on the bill, including Rosa DeLauro, Jahana Hayes, Jim Himes and John Larson. Courtney did not vote.

Transgender activists were up in arms about the vote, and continued to push the debunked narrative that puberty blockers and/or genital mutilation surgeries are "necessary, evidence-based care" for children.

For instance, Brian K. Bond, CEO of PFLAG National, said, “this legislation criminalizes medically necessary, evidence-based care by making healthcare providers felons for doing their jobs and exposes loving parents to potential prosecution simply for supporting their children and following the guidance of trusted medical professionals."

Matt Blinstrubas, the Executive Director of Equality Connecticut, was equally upset, calling it an "extreme bill" that "would subject loving parents and trusted providers to arrest, prosecution, and prison time simply for helping a child access medically necessary, evidence-based care."

It's unclear if the bill will pass the Senate, but parental rights advocates view it as a step in the right direction.

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