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April 3, 2023Preventing Harmful Clinical Interventions HB 1421 (Fine) and SB 254 (Yarborough) would prohibit physicians from performing gender transition procedures on minors and require physicians to obtain informed written consent before performing such procedures on adults. The legislation would require that a physician’s license be revoked if he or she violates any of the sections of the bill.
Michael Barrett, associate for education, testified in support of HB 1421 before the House Health and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. "We deeply sympathize with anyone who experiences gender dysphoria and recognize that it can be intensely difficult," said Barrett. "Therefore, it is important to recognize that so-called 'gender-affirming protocols' lack long-term evidence of their efficacy and result in irreversible physical damage to the patient. Futhermore, there is significant evidence that avoiding chemical or surgical interventions will result in desistance in favor of biological sex for most minors by the time they go through puberty. Finally, no medical intervention can truly realign a person's sex, which is an immutable characteristic of each person." HB 1421 was approved by a 15-6 vote.
SB 254 remains on the Special Order Calendar in the Senate.
Child Protection in Public Schools
SB 1320 (Yarborough) and HB 1069 (McClain) would define “sex” to mean biological sex for all of the Florida Education Code and prohibit an employee, contractor, or student of a public school from being required to refer to a person using personal titles or pronouns that do not correspond with that person’s sex. The bills would prohibit classroom instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades PreK-8 and also provide parents with greater transparency and the ability to restrict the type of books or instructional content their child can access.
SB 1320 is awaiting its final committee hearing. On Friday, HB 1069 was passed by the House by a vote of 77-35 and is in messages to the Senate.
