Representative Pierrick opposes bill expanding gender-marker changes; Representative Tan defends APRN affidavit authority

During floor consideration of standing committee reports, Representative Pierrick delivered an extended statement opposing a bill he described as allowing people to change their legal gender. Pierrick cited religious texts, referenced chromosomes and DNA, invoked diagnostic categories in the DSM-5, described himself as a licensed mental health counselor and concluded, "I'm voting no." The remarks were entered as floor debate while committee reports were being read.

Representative Tan spoke in response and argued in support of the measure, saying the bill "changes existing laws to allow for advanced practice registered nurses to submit affidavits for new certificates of birth," and suggested the measure was a technical change rather than solely a "trans issue." The clerk’s subsequent enumeration of reports continued; no separate roll-call vote on that specific bill was recorded in the segments covering the exchange.

The bill at the center of the exchange is not identified by bill number in the transcript excerpts covering this discussion. The transcript records clear expressions of support and opposition but no formal recorded outcome specific to the bill in those segments; the item appears within the larger omnibus motion to adopt committee reports that was carried by voice vote.