25 LC 52 0778
House Bill 660
By: Representatives Cox of the 28
th
, Jasperse of the 11
th
, Rice of the 139
th
, Scoggins of the
14
th
, and McDonald III of the 26
th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 18 of Title 45, Chapter 4 of Title 49, and Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the
1
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the employees' insurance and benefits plans,2
public assistance, and general provisions relative to state government, respectively, so as to3
prohibit coverage of expenses for any transition related intervention under the state health4
benefit plan or with any state funds; to provide for definitions; to prohibit state healthcare5
facilities and healthcare providers employed by the state from providing any transition6
related intervention; to prohibit correctional facilities owned or operated by the state and7
healthcare providers employed at such facilities from providing any transition related8
intervention; to provide for related matters; to provide for legislative findings; to provide for9
an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.10
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:11
SECTION 1.12
The General Assembly finds that:13
(1) The State of Georgia has taken measures to protect individuals from a radical gender14
ideology that has, among other things, resulted in a massive unexplained rise in diagnoses15
of gender dysphoria;16
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(2) Senate Bill 140 enacted by the General Assembly in the 2023 regular session broadly
17
banned procedures or treatments performed for the purpose of enabling a minor to18
identify with or live as a purported identity inconsistent with such minor's sex or treating19
purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between a minor's sex and asserted20
identity, and similar bills from other states have been upheld by a federal appeals court;21
and22
(3) It is the policy of the State of Georgia that these procedures or treatments shall23
neither be covered by the state health benefit plan nor otherwise paid for through the use24
of any state funds.25
SECTION 2.26
Chapter 18 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to employees'27
insurance and benefits plans, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:28
"45-18-4.2.
29
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:30
(1) 'Congenital defect' means a physical or chemical abnormality present in a minor that31
is inconsistent with the normal development of a human being of such minor's sex,32
including abnormalities caused by a medically verifiable disorder of sex development. 33
Such term does not include gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, gender34
incongruence, or any mental condition, disorder, disability, or abnormality.35
(2) 'Medical procedure' means a surgical procedure or nonsurgical treatment consisting36
of:37
(A) Surgically removing, modifying, altering, artificially constructing, or entering into38
tissues, cavities, or organs of a human being; or39
(B) Prescribing, administering, or dispensing any puberty blocker or supraphysiological40
hormone dosage to a human being.41
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(3) 'Puberty blocker' means a drug or device that suppresses the production of hormones42
in a minor's body to stop, delay, or suppress pubertal development.43
(4) 'Sex' means an individual's immutable characteristics of the reproductive system that44
define such individual as male or female, as determined by anatomy and genetics existing45
at the time of birth.46
(5) 'State health plan' means any healthcare benefits provided pursuant to Subpart 2 of47
Part 6 of Article 17 of Chapter 2 of Title 20, Subpart 3 of Part 6 of Article 17 of48
Chapter 2 of Title 20, Code Section 31-2-4, and Article 1 of Chapter 18 of this title.49
(6) 'Transition related intervention' means any medical procedure performed for the50
purpose of:51
(A) Enabling an individual to identify with or live as a purported identity inconsistent52
with such individual's sex; or53
(B) Treating an individual's purported discomfort or distress from a discordance54
between such individual's sex and asserted identity.55
(b) On or after January 1, 2026, the state health plan shall not include expenses for any56
transition related intervention except as provided in subsection (c) of this Code section.57
(c) The board shall adopt rules and regulations regarding the exclusion of expenses for any58
transition related intervention as provided for in subsection (b) of this Code section;59
provided, however, that it is not a violation of this Code section if a healthcare provider60
performs or administers a medical procedure for the purpose of treating:61
(1) A minor's congenital defect, precocious puberty, disease, or physical injury;62
provided, however, that the term 'disease' does not include gender dysphoria, gender63
identity disorder, gender incongruence, or any mental condition, disorder, disability, or64
abnormality; and65
(2) Any infection, injury, disease, or disorder that has been caused or exacerbated by the66
performance of a medical procedure, including a transition related intervention, whether67
or not such procedure was performed in accordance with federal or state law; provided,68
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however, that the purpose of such medical procedure shall not be to continue any69
transition related intervention for gender dysphoria, gender identity disorder, gender70
incongruence, or any mental condition, disorder, disability, or abnormality."71
SECTION 3.72
Chapter 4 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to public assistance,73
is amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:74
"49-4-159.5.75
The department shall prohibit the coverage of any transition related intervention as76
provided for in Code Section 45-18-4.2 for recipients of medical assistance."77
SECTION 4.78
Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general79
provisions relative to state government, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as80
follows:81
"50-1-14.82
(a) No state funds shall be expended for health benefits coverage that includes coverage83
for any transition related intervention as provided for in Code Section 45-18-4.2.84
(b) No healthcare facility owned or operated by the state and no physician or other85
healthcare provider employed by an agency or entity of this state shall provide any86
transition related intervention as provided for in Code Section 45-18-4.2.87
(c) No correctional facility owned or operated by the state and no physician or other88
healthcare provider employed by such facility shall provide any transition related89
intervention as provided for in Code Section 45-18-4.2 to any individual incarcerated at90
such facility.91
(d) Nothing in this Code section shall be construed as:92
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(1) Prohibiting any individual, entity, or local government from purchasing separate93
coverage for any transition related intervention or health benefits coverage that includes94
any transition related intervention, provided that such coverage is paid for entirely using95
only funds not authorized or appropriated by the state; or96
(2) Restricting the ability of any nonstate health benefits coverage provider from offering97
coverage for any transition related intervention or the ability of a local government to98
contract separately with such a provider for such coverage, provided that such coverage99
is paid for entirely using only funds not authorized or appropriated by the state."100
SECTION 5.101
This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law102
without such approval.103
SECTION 6.104
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.105
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