Text of GA SB 30 (2025)

25 LC 52 0659 Senate Bill 30 By: Senators Watson of the 1st, Gooch of the 51st, Kennedy of the 18th, Dixon of the 45th, Dolezal of the 27th and others A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 31 and Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the 1 Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to regulation of hospitals and related 2 institutions and the Georgia Composite Medical Board, respectively, so as to prohibit 3 prescribing or administering certain hormone therapies and puberty-blocking medications 4 for certain purposes to minors; to provide for definitions; to provide for limited exceptions; 5 to provide for a remedy for a parent or guardian of a minor; to provide for related matters; 6 to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. 7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: 8 SECTION 1. 9 Article 1 of Chapter 7 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to 10 regulation of hospitals and related institutions, is amended by revising Code 11 Section 31-7-3.5, relating to treatment of minors for gender dysphoria and penalty for 12 violations, as follows: 13 "31-7-3.5. 14 (a) As used in this Code section, the term: 15 S. B. 30 - 1 - 25 LC 52 0659 (1) 'Hormone therapy' means therapy that adds, blocks, or removes hormones for the 16 purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the 17 appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or 18 perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes, but is not limited 19 to, the provision of supraphysiologic estrogen or progesterone to a minor who is male or 20 supraphysiologic testosterone to a minor who is female, whether such hormones are 21 biological, bioidentical, or synthetic. 22 (2) 'Puberty-blocking medication' means medication, whether biological, bioidentical, 23 or synthetic, used to delay or suppress pubertal development in a minor for the purpose 24 of assisting such minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the 25 appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or 26 perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes 27 gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues or other synthetic drugs used in males to stop 28 luteinizing hormone secretion, and therefore testosterone production, and synthetic drugs 29 used in females to stop the production of estrogen and progesterone. 30 (3) 'Sex' means the biological state of being male or female, in the context of 31 reproductive potential or capacity, based on an individual's sex organs, chromosomes, 32 naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and internal and external genitalia present at 33 birth, including secondary sex characteristics. 34 (4) 'Sex reassignment surgery' means any surgical procedure that seeks to surgically alter 35 or remove healthy or nondiseased physical or anatomical characteristics or features that 36 are typical for an individual's sex in order to instill or create physiological or anatomical 37 characteristics that resemble a sex different from a minor's sex. Such term means genital 38 or nongenital surgery performed for the purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to 39 alter such minor's sex or to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of 40 his or her sex if such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such 41 term includes, but is not limited to, castration, clitorectomy, clitoroplasty, hysterectomy, 42 S. B. 30 - 2 - 25 LC 52 0659 mammoplasty, mastectomy, metoidioplasty, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, penectomy, 43 phalloplasty, vaginectomy, vaginoplasty, vasectomy, and vulvoplasty. 44 (a)(b) Except as provided in subsection (b)(c) of this Code section, none of the following 45 irreversible procedures or irreversible or reversible treatments therapies shall be performed 46 on a minor for the treatment of gender dysphoria or prescribed or administered to a minor 47 if such procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered for the purpose of 48 attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if 49 such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex in an institution 50 licensed pursuant to this article: 51 (1) Sex reassignment surgeries, or any other surgical procedures, that are performed for 52 the purpose of altering primary or secondary sexual sex characteristics; or 53 (2) Hormone replacement therapies that are prescribed or administered for the purpose 54 of altering primary or secondary sex characteristics or puberty-blocking medications that 55 are prescribed or administered for the purpose of delaying or suppressing puberty. 56 (b)(c) The provisions of subsection (a)(b) of this Code section shall not apply to treatment 57 provided pursuant to an exception contained in subsection (b)(c) of Code Section 43-34-15. 58 (c)(d) The department shall establish sanctions, by rule and regulation, for violations of 59 this Code section up to and including the revocation of an institution's permit issued 60 pursuant to Code Section 31-7-3. 61 (e) Nothing in this Code section shall preclude a parent or guardian of a minor on or to 62 whom a procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered in violation of 63 this Code section from seeking civil or criminal remedy under any other provision of law." 64 SECTION 2. 65 Article 1 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the 66 Georgia Composite Medical Board, is amended by revising Code Section 43-34-15, relating 67 S. B. 30 - 3 - 25 LC 52 0659 to prohibition on certain therapies and procedures for treatment of gender dysphoria in 68 minors, regulations, exceptions, and accountability, as follows: 69 "43-34-15. 70 (a) As used in this Code section, the term: 71 (1) 'Hormone therapy' means therapy that adds, blocks, or removes hormones for the 72 purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the 73 appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or 74 perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes, but is not limited 75 to, the provision of supraphysiologic estrogen or progesterone to a minor who is a male 76 or supraphysiologic testosterone to a minor who is a female, whether such hormones are 77 biological, bioidentical, or synthetic. 78 (2) 'Puberty-blocking medication' means medication, whether biological, bioidentical, 79 or synthetic, used to delay or suppress pubertal development in a minor for the purpose 80 of assisting such minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the 81 appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or 82 perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes 83 gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues or other synthetic drugs used in males to stop 84 luteinizing hormone secretion, and therefore testosterone production, and synthetic drugs 85 used in females to stop the production of estrogen and progesterone. 86 (3) 'Sex' means the biological state of being male or female, in the context of 87 reproductive potential or capacity, based on an individual's sex organs, chromosomes, 88 naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and internal and external genitalia present at 89 birth, including secondary sex characteristics. 90 (4) 'Sex reassignment surgery' means any surgical procedure that seeks to surgically alter 91 or remove healthy or nondiseased physical or anatomical characteristics or features that 92 are typical for an individual's sex in order to instill or create physiological or anatomical 93 characteristics that resemble a sex different from a minor's sex. Such term means genital 94 S. B. 30 - 4 - 25 LC 52 0659 or nongenital surgery performed for the purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to 95 alter such minor's sex or to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of 96 his or her sex if such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. 97 Such term includes, but is not limited to, castration, clitorectomy, clitoroplasty, 98 hysterectomy, mammoplasty, mastectomy, metoidioplasty, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, 99 penectomy, phalloplasty, vaginectomy, vaginoplasty, vasectomy, and vulvoplasty. 100 (a)(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b)(c) of this Code section, the following 101 irreversible procedures and irreversible or reversible treatments therapies performed on a 102 minor for the treatment of gender dysphoria or prescribed or administered to a minor if 103 such procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered for the purpose of 104 attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if 105 such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex are prohibited in this 106 state: 107 (1) Sex reassignment surgeries, or any other surgical procedures, that are performed for 108 the purpose of altering primary or secondary sexual sex characteristics; and 109 (2) Hormone replacement therapies that are prescribed or administered for the purpose 110 of altering primary or secondary sex characteristics or puberty-blocking medications that 111 are prescribed or administered for the purpose of delaying or suppressing puberty. 112 (b)(c) The board shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the prohibitions contained in 113 subsection (a)(b) of this Code section, which shall contain limited exceptions for: 114 (1) Treatments for medical conditions other than gender dysphoria or for the purpose of 115 sex reassignment where such treatments are deemed medically necessary; 116 (2)(1) Treatments for individuals born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex 117 development, including individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or chromosomal 118 abnormalities resulting in ambiguity regarding the individual's biological sex; and 119 (3)(2) Treatments for individuals with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome; and 120 S. B. 30 - 5 - 25 LC 52 0659 (4) Continued treatment of minors who are, prior to July 1, 2023, being treated with 121 irreversible hormone replacement therapies. 122 (c)(d) A licensed physician who violates this Code section shall be held administratively 123 accountable to the board for such violation. 124 (e) Nothing in this Code section shall preclude a parent or guardian of a minor on or to 125 whom a procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered in violation of 126 this Code section from seeking civil or criminal remedy under any other provision of law." 127 SECTION 3. 128 All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. 129 S. B. 30 - 6 -