Missouri bills on trans athletes, health care advance amid GOP push on LGBTQ+ issues

JEFFERSON CITY — A panel of Missouri lawmakers advanced two bills restricting the ability of transgender youth to play school sports and access gender-affirming health care, as Republicans ramp up their efforts to legislate on the issue.

One of those bills, sponsored by Republican Rep. Brad Hudson of Cape Fair, bans gender-affirming health care for those under 18 years old. The other, from Republican Rep. Jamie Burger of Benton, bans transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams from sixth grade through high school.

Their passage is the latest move by Republican supermajorities in both chambers to advance legislation aimed at transgender youth, with the issue now a political priority for the party nationally.

Those efforts have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks after a former staffer for the transgender health center at Washington University in St. Louis came forward with allegations in a sworn affidavit that children had been improperly treated with hormone therapy, and that the center misled parents and the public about its services. The Missouri attorney general made public that his office was investigating the center, along with the office of U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, prompting lawmakers to redouble their efforts on the issue during the legislative session.

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Hudson's House Bill 419, banning gender-affirming health care marks the first bill of its kind to be approved by a committee this year, sending it to the full chamber for debate. Its approval on Thursday came despite concerns raised by members on both sides of the aisle on new additions and revisions to the bill.

Chief among those concerns was language removed from the legislation that would have made exceptions on gender-affirming procedures if the patient suffers from a disorder, injury or illness that would place them "in imminent danger of death or impairment of a major bodily function."

Rep. Keri Ingle, a Lee's Summit Democrat, called the exclusion of the exception "a tort nightmare." Rep. Tony Lovasco, an O'Fallon Republican, said it could potentially change the intent of the entire bill, and switched his vote from yes to "present." And Rep. Peter Merideth, a St. Louis Democrat, argued it could stop doctors "from providing necessary health care for other reasons."

Hudson, the bill sponsor, argued that the exception had to be removed because it could undermine the bill, and said "we're on very firm ground with it not being necessary."

"I think individuals in the health care community should be able and will be able to see what this legislation is speaking to," Hudson said.

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Those lawmakers also took issue with another addition to the bill, which would bar the state from paying for any gender-affirming care for those in prisons. Ingle argued that language added a new dimension to the bill dealing with adults, though it was intended originally for only those under 18. It could also prevent incarcerated people who have already transitioned from receiving critical treatment, she said.

"We just introduced an entirely different population and didn't have any discussion of insurance or payment into this debate and into this bill," she said. "I have tremendous concerns about that."

Springfield Republican Rep. Alex Riley, who chairs the committee, was concerned enough with the revisions to briefly pause the hearing, but proceeded with the vote on the current language, asking Hudson to ensure that further discussions are had on the matter before floor debate.

The committee approved the bill by an 8-5-1 vote, with Rep. Renee Reuter, a Republican from Imperial, voting no alongside Democrats.

In a public hearing weeks ago, LGBTQ+ advocates and families with transgender families laid out high stakes and potentially dire consequences for the legislation: it could cause them to leave the state, and could drive other transgender youth to harm and potentially suicide.

More:Trans Missourians and families tell lawmakers proposed bills could have fatal consequences

Sponsors push for passage as bills aimed at trans youth trickle through committee

Sponsors in both the House and Senate for similar bills banning gender-affirming health care for minors held a press conference Tuesday, indicating a new push for the measures as the session continues.

Both chambers have held hearings on several such bills dealing with health care, but Hudson's measure approved Thursday is the first time one has made it to the floor debate stage of the process. Bills in the Senate side have not yet been voted out of committee.

More:Missouri Republicans renew attempts to restrict transgender sports, health care, education

The passage by the House committee Thursday of a bill banning transgender girls from girls' sports means both the House and Senate now have bills awaiting floor debate on the issue. Senate Bill 39, from Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Sikeston, applies the ban to all grade levels; House Bill 183, from Burger, takes effect in sixth grade.

The Senate is also weighing a bill that would ban teachers and school staff from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in school settings. That legislation, Senate Bill 134 from Republican Sen. Mike Moon of Ash Grove, was passed out of committee this week but has not yet been referred to the Senate floor for debate.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri bills on trans athletes, health care move through legislature