Utah Senate passes bill restricting some transgender medical treatments for minors after heated debate

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Senate on Friday approved first substitute Senate Bill 16, a measure that sponsors described as banning certain transgender surgeries for minors, imposing a moratorium on new starts of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, and adding regulatory oversight and an extended malpractice statute of limitations. The bill passed on a roll call vote and will be sent to the House for consideration.

Senator Michael J. Kennedy, sponsor of the bill, told the chamber the measure creates a regulatory framework to ensure “vulnerable individuals will receive exceptional care by people that are credentialed and that actually have state oversight into the quality of that care.” He described elements of the bill as protections tied to provider credentials and state oversight.

Supporters framed the bill as regulatory, but opponents described it as harmful. An emotional floor statement read by Senator Bluen from an…