I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5483 
To prohibit health care professionals, hospitals, or clinics from participating 
in the chemical or surgical mutilation of a child and to provide a 
private right of action for children and the parents of children whose 
healthy body parts have been damaged by medical professionals practicing 
chemical and surgical mutilation. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 
Mr. ONDER (for himself, Mr. CARTER of Georgia, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. MCCOR-
MICK, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. MOORE of Alabama, 
Mr. BAIRD, Mr. GILL of Texas, Mr. ROSE, Mr. MOORE of West Virginia, 
Mr. TAYLOR, Mr. SIMPSON, Mrs. BIGGS of South Carolina, Mr. CREN-
SHAW, Mr. HARRIS of Maryland, Mr. HARRIGAN, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. 
OGLES, and Mr. COLLINS) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To prohibit health care professionals, hospitals, or clinics 
from participating in the chemical or surgical mutilation 
of a child and to provide a private right of action for 
children and the parents of children whose healthy body 
parts have been damaged by medical professionals prac-
ticing chemical and surgical mutilation. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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pearance or that attempt to alter or re-
move an individual’s sexual organs. 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—Such term does not in-
clude any of the following: 
(i) Appropriate and medically nec-
essary procedures to treat a verifiable dis-
order of sexual development, including an 
individual born with 46 XX chromosomes 
with virilization, with 46 XY chromosomes 
with undervirilization, or having both ovar-
ian and testicular tissue. 
(ii) The treatment of any infection, in-
jury, disease, or disorder that has been 
caused or exacerbated by the performance 
of an intervention described in subpara-
graph (A) without regard to whether the 
intervention was performed in accordance 
with State or Federal law or whether the 
intervention is covered by the private right 
of action under section 4. 
(iii) Any intervention undertaken be-
cause the individual suffers from any diag-
nosed and verifiable condition of the body’s 
organ systems, including the following: 
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(I) Traumatic bodily injuries 
(such as fractures, organ rupture, or 
penetrating trauma). 
(II) Congenital structural anoma-
lies of major organs or systems, in-
cluding 
the 
cardiovascular, 
res-
piratory, renal, hepatic, neurological, 
or musculoskeletal systems. 
(III) Acute illnesses with a high 
probability of rapid mortality. 
(iv) Detransition treatment. 
(2) CHILD.—The term ‘‘child’’ means an indi-
vidual under 18 years of age. 
(3) DETRANSITION
TREATMENT.—The term 
‘‘detransition treatment’’ means any treatment, in-
cluding a mental health treatment, medical interven-
tion, or surgery, that does either or both of the fol-
lowing: 
(A) Stops or reverses the effects of a prior 
chemical or surgical mutilation. 
(B) Helps an individual cope with the ef-
fects of a prior chemical or surgical mutilation. 
(4) HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL.—The term 
‘‘health care professional’’ means a person, including 
a physician, who is licensed, certified, or otherwise 
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authorized by the laws of a State to administer 
health care in the ordinary course of the practice of 
his or her profession or performing such acts which 
require such licensure. 
(5) MENTAL
HEALTH
PROFESSIONAL.—The 
term ‘‘mental health professional’’ means a person 
who is licensed to diagnose and treat mental health 
conditions in a State. 
(6) PARTICIPATE.—The term ‘‘participate’’, 
with respect to acts constituting chemical or surgical 
mutilation as defined in paragraph (1), means di-
rectly engaging in the planning, authorization, pre-
scription, administration, or performance of any 
such act, including any of the following: 
(A) Prescribing puberty blockers, sex hor-
mones, or related medications with the intent to 
alter an individual’s physical appearance or re-
productive function to align with an identity 
differing from his or her sex. 
(B) Administering medications or treat-
ments described in subparagraph (A) with such 
intent, whether by injection, oral delivery, or 
other means. 
(C) Performing surgical procedures that 
attempt to transform an individual’s physical 
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appearance to confirm a patient’s physical ap-
pearance to be of the alternate sex, or that alter 
or remove sexual organs as part of chemical or 
surgical mutilation. 
(D) Authorizing or directing such chemical 
or surgical mutilation procedures as a super-
vising health care professional or institutional 
representative. 
(E) Knowingly planning or coordinating 
the provision of treatments or procedures de-
scribed above in subparagraph (A), (C), or (D) 
with the intent to facilitate chemical or surgical 
mutilation. 
(7) SEX.—The term ‘‘sex’’ means a person’s 
immutable biological classification, determined at the 
moment of conception, as either male or female, as 
follows: 
(A) The term ‘‘female’’ is a person who 
naturally has, had, will have, or would have but 
for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unin-
tentional disruption, the reproductive system 
that produces, transports, and utilizes the large 
gamete (ova) for fertilization. 
(B) The term ‘‘male’’ is a person who nat-
urally has, had, will have, or would have but for 
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a congenital anomaly or intentional or uninten-
tional disruption, the reproductive system that 
produces, transports, and utilizes the small ga-
mete (sperm) for fertilization. 
SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON CHEMICAL OR SURGICAL MUTILA-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—No health care professional, hos-
pital, or clinic shall, in a circumstance described in sub-
section (b), participate in the chemical or surgical mutila-
tion of a child, and a health care professional, hospital, 
or clinic may commence participation in a treatment that 
qualifies as an exception specified in clauses (i) through 
(iv) of section 2(1)(B) only after determining that clear 
and convincing evidence supports a determination that the 
treatment so qualifies. 
(b) 
CIRCUMSTANCES
DESCRIBED.—The 
cir-
cumstances described in this subsection are that— 
(1) the defendant or child traveled in interstate 
or foreign commerce, or traveled using a means, 
channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or 
foreign commerce, in furtherance of or in connection 
with the participation in the chemical or surgical 
mutilation; 
(2) the defendant used a means, channel, facil-
ity, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign com-
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merce in furtherance of or in connection with the 
participation in the chemical or surgical mutilation; 
(3) any payment of any kind was made, directly 
or indirectly, in furtherance of or in connection with 
the participation in the chemical or surgical mutila-
tion using any means, channel, facility, or instru-
mentality of interstate or foreign commerce or in or 
affecting interstate or foreign commerce; 
(4) the defendant transmitted in interstate or 
foreign commerce any communication relating to or 
in furtherance of the participation in the chemical or 
surgical mutilation using any means, channel, facil-
ity, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign com-
merce or in or affecting interstate or foreign com-
merce by any means or in any manner, including by 
computer, mail, wire, or electromagnetic trans-
mission; 
(5) any instrument, item, substance, or other 
object that has traveled in interstate or foreign com-
merce was used to perform the chemical or surgical 
mutilation; 
(6) the chemical or surgical mutilation occurred 
within the District of Columbia, the special maritime 
and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or 
any territory or possession of the United States; or 
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(7) the chemical or surgical mutilation other-
wise occurred in or affected interstate or foreign 
commerce. 
SEC. 4. PRIVATE RIGHT OF ACTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—An individual subjected as a child 
to chemical or surgical mutilation prohibited by section 3, 
or the parents or legal guardians of such individual, may 
bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the 
United States for damages against any health care profes-
sional, hospital, or clinic, who participates in the chemical 
or surgical mutilation of that child. Such a cause of action 
shall be available regardless of whether the alleged chem-
ical or surgical mutilation occurred before, on, or after the 
date of enactment of this Act. 
(b) DAMAGES.—Damages available pursuant to such 
an action may include— 
(1) compensatory damages, including all eco-
nomic damages associated with undoing, correcting, 
or ameliorating the effects or results of any chemical 
or surgical mutilation procedures; 
(2) non-economic damages for emotional dis-
tress and pain and suffering; and 
(3) punitive damages, if the claimant proves by 
clear and convincing evidence that the defendant 
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against whom punitive damages are sought acted 
maliciously, intentionally, fraudulently, or recklessly. 
(c) STRICT LIABILITY.—Any health care profes-
sional, hospital, or clinic whose participation in the chem-
ical or surgical mutilation of a child after the date of en-
actment of this Act is proven by clear and convincing evi-
dence shall be strictly liable for damages for any such act 
of mutilation. If a treatment qualifies under an exception 
specified in clauses (i) through (iv) of section 2(1)(B), and 
that is raised as an affirmative defense to a violation of 
this Act, the health care professional, hospital, or clinic 
shall bear the burden of proving by clear and convincing 
evidence that such exception applies. 
SEC. 5. RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. 
In this Act: 
(1) No private right of action is established 
based on counseling, referrals to mental health pro-
fessionals, or discussions of treatment options, in-
cluding counseling, referrals, or options available 
upon reaching adulthood, or in circumstances not 
described in section 3(b), provided by health care 
professionals, or mental health professionals, pro-
vided that such actions do not constitute participa-
tion in chemical or surgical mutilation, as defined in 
section 2. 
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(2) No liability for a health care professional 
under these provisions may be waived. 
(3) Any ambiguities shall be resolved against 
any party found to have engaged in participation, as 
defined in section 2(6), in the chemical or surgical 
mutilation of a child. 
(4) In any cases in which chemical or surgical 
mutilation of a child is shown to have occurred be-
fore the date of enactment of this Act, there is lim-
ited deference to prevailing standards of care to the 
extent that such standards contradict the intent of 
this Act and it is shown that the health care profes-
sional knew or should have known that such stand-
ards of care were in serious, scientific, and medical 
dispute at the time of the chemical or surgical muti-
lation. 
(5) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to 
prohibit a health care professional or mental health 
professional from providing information about all 
available treatment options, discussing risks and 
benefits, or expressing professional medical opinions, 
so long as such actions do not constitute participa-
tion in chemical or surgical mutilation. 
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SEC. 6. STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS. 
An action under section 4 may be brought within 25 
years from the date of the eighteenth birthday of an indi-
vidual subjected to chemical or surgical mutilation as a 
child or within 4 years from the time the cost of a 
detransition treatment is incurred, whichever date is later. 
SEC. 7. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act, or the application of such 
a provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be 
unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, and the appli-
cation of the provision held to be unconstitutional to any 
other person or circumstance, shall not be affected. 
Æ 
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