MADISON, WI — State Senator Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) and Representative Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) released legislation today establishing a civil cause of action for individuals who were harmed by gender transition procedures or treatments administered while they were minors.
The legislation, circulated for co-sponsorship today, seeks to address growing concerns about the long-term consequences of medical interventions, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries, which are increasingly performed on minors who present with mental health challenges.
The bill would allow individuals who experience physical, psychological, emotional, or physiological harm from these interventions to seek civil compensation until age 33, recognizing that the full consequences of such treatments may not manifest for years into adulthood.
“This bill is ultimately about protecting kids by ensuring accountability for life-altering decisions made by others,” Hutton said. “There are many unknowns about the long-term effects of these interventions, and yet they are being administered in greater numbers to young people. Children who are harmed by an irreversible gender transition procedure should have the same right to seek justice when they reach adulthood as any other patient who suffered harm.”
The bill addresses known risks such as reduced bone density, cardiovascular complications, and impaired fertility and a host of other unknowns resulting from the lack of definitive long-term research on these treatments. The bill includes safeguards, providing legal protections for medical providers who meet stringent due diligence standards before performing such procedures, as well as exceptions for medically necessary cases.
“This bill is not a mandate or a sanction. It simply ensures that children who were administered irreversible treatments and suffered long-term adverse consequences have legal options available to them as adults,” Hutton said.
