A bill introduced in the Tennessee House of Representatives would allow doctors to be held liable in civil court for completing transgender surgeries on minors.

“The legislature determines that medical procedures that alter a minor’s hormonal balance, remove a minor’s sex organs, or otherwise change a minor’s physical appearance are harmful to a minor when these medical procedures are performed for the purpose of enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex or treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity,” says House Bill 1, introduced by State Representative William Lamberth (R-Cottontown).

Therefore, according to the bill, “[a] healthcare provider shall not perform or offer to perform on a minor, or administer or offer to administer to a minor, a medical procedure if the performance or administration of the procedure is for the purpose of … Enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor’s sex; or … Treating purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor’s sex and asserted identity.”

The penalty for providing such medical services is not criminal, but instead allows healthcare providers to be sued in civil court.

“ If a court in any civil action brought pursuant to this section finds that a healthcare provider knowingly violated § 68-33-103, then the court shall notify the appropriate regulatory authority and the attorney general and reporter by mailing a certified copy of the court’s order to the regulatory authority and the attorney general and reporter.”

Aaron Gulbransen, the executive director of the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition, told The Tennessee Star the following:

Psalm 127:3 says in part, “Behold, children are a gift of the Lord” and what has been happening at places like Vanderbilt and elsewhere to permanently damage so many of them needs to stop. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth are to be commended for their work to protect the children of Tennessee and to shine a light on the abuses that have been wrought on minors that are affected by mental health issues. I’m looking forward to working with Leaders Johnson and Lamberth as well as other members of the General Assembly in order to help see SB0001/HB0001 become law. This measure has my full support.

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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].