Montana hearing on SB164 divides lawmakers, parents and medical groups over criminalizing gender-affirming treatments for minors

Senate Bill 164 — a bill that would expand Montana’s child‑endangerment statute to make it a crime to provide puberty blockers, cross‑sex hormones or surgeries to anyone under 16 — prompted hours of testimony and sharply divided public comment during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on March 10.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Fuller, said the amendment to section 45‑5‑622 of the Montana Code Annotated is aimed at protecting children from “harmful and irreversible medical interventions.” “This is an amendment to section 45‑5‑622, outlining the endangerment of the welfare of children,” Fuller told the committee, and he argued in opening remarks that the proposed change is within the Legislature’s authority under Article V, Section 1 of the Montana Constitution.

Supporters, who included a mix of parents, self‑described whistleblowers and conservative legal groups, told…