Diana Harshbarger
04/29/2026 | Press release | Archived content
WJHL: Rep. Harshbarger introduces bill to ban child sex-change procedures
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJHL) - On Wednesday, Republican lawmakers introduced the Safeguarding the Overall Protection of Minors (STOP) Act in Washington, D.C.
The act would ban gender transition procedures performed on minors, impose strict civil penalties on perpetrators and create a federal compensation fund dedicated to helping victims recover, according to a news release from Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN).
Congresswoman Harshbarger joined Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS), Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), Representatives Addison McDowell (R-NC) and Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) as original co-sponsors of the bill.
Harshbarger stated in the release that as a parent and pharmacist, protecting patients has been her priority.
"Irreversible sex-rejecting procedures should not be performed on minors," Harshbarger said in the release. "It builds on Tennessee's law, upheld by the Supreme Court, affirming that protecting children from these dangerous interventions is a compelling government interest."
According to Harshbarger's release, the STOP Act would prohibit anyone from "knowingly performing, attempting to perform, conspiring to perform, or otherwise aiding or abetting any gender transition procedure on a minor under age 18-including but not limited to puberty blockers, high-dose cross-sex hormones, mastectomies, hysterectomies, genital surgeries, and facial procedures."
Additionally, the legislation would impose civil monetary penalties of at least $100,000 per violation.
If passed into law, the STOP Act would also create a private right of action for "victims of gender transition procedures-or their parent, guardian, or caretaker if the victim was still a minor," the release states. Those taking that right of action could sue in federal court for damages.
The "Victims of Gender Transition Procedures Compensation Fund" would also be established in the U.S. Treasury. The fund would provide grants to private non-profits that assist people who are recovering. The funds would come from the civil penalties collected from offenders, according to Harshbarger.
Diana Harshbarger published this content on April 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on May 22, 2026 at 19:39 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]