Tennessee House Bill Would Hold Doctors Civilly Liable for Transgender Surgeries

A bill introduced in the Tennessee House of Representatives would allow doctors to be held liable in civil court for completing transgender surgeries on minors.

“The legislature determines that medical procedures that alter a minor’s hormonal balance, remove a minor’s sex organs, or otherwise change a minor’s physical appearance are harmful to a minor when these medical procedures are performed for the purpose of enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex or treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,” says House Bill 1, introduced by State Representative William Lamberth (R-Cottontown).

Therefore, according to the bill, “[a] healthcare provider shall not perform or offer to perform on a minor, or administer or offer to administer to a minor, a medical procedure if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of … Enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex; or … Treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.”

The penalty for providing such medical services is not criminal, but instead allows healthcare providers to be sued in civil court.

“ If a court in any civil action brought pursuant to this section finds that a healthcare provider knowingly violated § 68-33-103, then the court shall notify the appropriate regulatory authority and the attorney general and reporter by mailing a certified copy of the court’s order to the regulatory authority and the attorney general and reporter.”… (Excerpt from The Tennessee Star)