Georgia 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia Senate Bill SB30 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/28/2025

                    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 related2
institutions and the Georgia Composite Medical Board, respectively, so as to prohibit3
prescribing or administering certain hormone therapies and puberty-blocking medications4
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 to10
regulation of hospitals and related institutions, is amended by revising Code11
Section 31-7-3.5, relating to treatment of minors for gender dysphoria and penalty for12
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 the16
purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the17
appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or18
perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex.  Such term includes, but is not limited19
to, the provision of supraphysiologic estrogen or progesterone to a minor who is male or20
supraphysiologic testosterone to a minor who is female, whether such hormones are21
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 purpose24
of assisting such minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the25
appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or26
perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes27
gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues or other synthetic drugs used in males to stop28
luteinizing hormone secretion, and therefore testosterone production, and synthetic drugs29
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 of31
reproductive potential or capacity, based on an individual's sex organs, chromosomes,32
naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and internal and external genitalia present at33
birth, including secondary sex characteristics.34
(4)  'Sex reassignment surgery' means any surgical procedure that seeks to surgically alter35
or remove healthy or nondiseased physical or anatomical characteristics or features that36
are typical for an individual's sex in order to instill or create physiological or anatomical37
characteristics that resemble a sex different from a minor's sex.  Such term means genital38
or nongenital surgery performed for the purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to39
alter such minor's sex or to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of40
his or her sex if such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such41
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 following45
irreversible procedures or irreversible or reversible treatments therapies shall be performed46
on a minor for the treatment of gender dysphoria or prescribed or administered to a minor47
if such procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered for the purpose of48
attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if49
such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex in an institution50
licensed pursuant to this article:51
(1)  Sex reassignment surgeries, or any other surgical procedures, that are performed for52
the purpose of altering primary or secondary sexual sex characteristics; or53
(2)  Hormone replacement therapies that are prescribed or administered for the purpose54
of altering primary or secondary sex characteristics or puberty-blocking medications that55
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 treatment57
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 of59
this Code section up to and including the revocation of an institution's permit issued60
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 to62
whom a procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered in violation of63
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 the66
Georgia Composite Medical Board, is amended by revising Code Section 43-34-15, relating67
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 the72
purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the73
appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or74
perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex.  Such term includes, but is not limited75
to, the provision of supraphysiologic estrogen or progesterone to a minor who is a male76
or supraphysiologic testosterone to a minor who is a female, whether such hormones are77
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 purpose80
of assisting such minor with attempting to alter such minor's sex or to alter the81
appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if such appearance or82
perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex. Such term includes83
gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues or other synthetic drugs used in males to stop84
luteinizing hormone secretion, and therefore testosterone production, and synthetic drugs85
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 of87
reproductive potential or capacity, based on an individual's sex organs, chromosomes,88
naturally occurring sex hormones, gonads, and internal and external genitalia present at89
birth, including secondary sex characteristics.90
(4)  'Sex reassignment surgery' means any surgical procedure that seeks to surgically alter91
or remove healthy or nondiseased physical or anatomical characteristics or features that92
are typical for an individual's sex in order to instill or create physiological or anatomical93
characteristics that resemble a sex different from a minor's sex.  Such term means genital94
S. B. 30
- 4 - 25 LC 52 0659
or nongenital surgery performed for the purpose of assisting a minor with attempting to95
alter such minor's sex or to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of96
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 following101
irreversible procedures and irreversible or reversible treatments therapies performed on a102
minor for the treatment of gender dysphoria or prescribed or administered to a minor if103
such procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered for the purpose of104
attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm such minor's perception of his or her sex if105
such appearance or perception is inconsistent with such minor's sex are prohibited in this106
state:107
(1)  Sex reassignment surgeries, or any other surgical procedures, that are performed for108
the purpose of altering primary or secondary sexual sex characteristics; and109
(2)  Hormone replacement therapies that are prescribed or administered for the purpose110
of altering primary or secondary sex characteristics or puberty-blocking medications that111
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 in113
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 of115
sex reassignment where such treatments are deemed medically necessary;116
(2)(1) Treatments for individuals born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex117
development, including individuals born with ambiguous genitalia or chromosomal118
abnormalities resulting in ambiguity regarding the individual's biological sex; and119
(3)(2) Treatments for individuals with partial androgen insensitivity syndrome; and120
S. B. 30
- 5 - 25 LC 52 0659
(4)  Continued treatment of minors who are, prior to July 1, 2023, being treated with121
irreversible hormone replacement therapies.122
(c)(d) A licensed physician who violates this Code section shall be held administratively123
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 to125
whom a procedure or treatment is performed, prescribed, or administered in violation of126
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 -