The proposed ban by Sen. Bob Hall would target doctors, not parents. Looming deadlines may kill it in a week.
All other House bills with the same goal have died in the Public Health Committee, where their kindred Senate bills await movement.
The Texas House has until midnight tonight to approve their own proposals. The list of legislation awaiting a vote is over 300 bills long.
Procedural tactics meant to get the bill past the committee fizzled out. One Republican who would have been the swing vote was absent.
Like other similar bans, Senate Bill 1646 would officially count puberty blockers and gonadectomies as child abuse.
A resolution from Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo opposes bans on sex-change procedures for children and efforts to prevent biological males from competing in girls’ sports.
“These individuals still can compete, and they can do it under their biological sex,” Perry said before the Senate took a final vote.
"Without my consent, my ex-wife just transitioned my son to a girl," Jeff Younger, father of James, said in his testimony.
"There are more children’s gender clinics now than there are adult gender clinics because that’s where the money is.”
Some bills approach gendered wording head-on. Others propose small, marginal edits to make the law gender-neutral.
Two faculty members of Christian universities received significant opposition to comments they made on transgender issues. Both see the response as raising deeper concerns about free speech.
On the heels of Biden's orders, the bill would solidify a rule that keeps boys and girls separate in Texas public school sports.
