Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Utah Senate Committee advances bill to make moratorium on minors’ gender-affirming medical care permanent
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee heard extended testimony for and against HB 174, adopted an amendment delaying parts of the ban by one year, and voted to recommend the bill favorably as amended. Supporters cited alleged harms and questioned the DHHS review; opponents and clinicians warned of mental-health harms and loss of access.
The Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday heard hours of testimony and public comment on HB 174, a bill from Representative Shipp that would make permanent the moratorium on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors enacted in 2023 by SB 16.
Supporters of HB 174 told the committee the state’s earlier DHHS review was not a proper systematic review, pointed to international reviews and clinic closures, and urged lawmakers to protect children from long-term harms. "The medicalization of gender theory is going down as the most egregious and harmful scandal ever in the history of medicine," said David Bector, a board-certified pediatrician, summarizing his testimony about alleged physical and medical-legal risks tied to these treatments.
Opponents, including clinicians and people who identify as transgender or have received gender-affirming care, warned that ending access to care would increase depression, anxiety and suicide risk. "Ending the course of treatment for youth already undergoing medical care would result…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
