NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, today introduced legislation enshrining critical rights for victims of radical cosmetic gender reassignment surgeries.
House Bill 2816 protects four basic rights of Tennesseans, including the right to insurance coverage, mental health care access, legal restoration and the right to transparency.
The significant lack of scientific evidence and the irreversible consequences that come with these treatments are deeply concerning, Faison said.
“This legislation provides protections and rights for gender-confused individuals who were encouraged to undergo permanently disfiguring surgeries and interventions,” Faison said “Tragically, many suffer from extraordinary physical pain, mental health challenges, and deep regret after sex reassignment.”
Faison’s proposal includes the right to insurance coverage from practitioners and insurers for procedures designed to change the physical appearance of their gender using state funds. The bill will provide coverage for procedures to help transition back to sex at birth.
The bill prohibits any county or municipality from passing a local ordinance banning access to mental health care. It prevents local governments from circumventing parental consent to mental health care for a child who is experiencing feelings of inconsistency about their gender.
Medical providers who offer transgender care would be required to provide an annual report to the state with statistical data, including how many patients they treat, their ages, diagnoses, and drugs administered.
Finally, the bill aims to ease the burden of detransitioning by expediting processes through the state that help return a person’s biological sex, name, and other personal information on legal documents.
“A person in distress who is suffering from gender dysphoria should be treated with respect, love and understanding as well as with the appropriate mental health care,” Faison said. “This legislation recognizes the trauma endured by these individuals and helps to provide a way back from the harm inflicted.”
House Bill 2816 Is expected to begin moving through House committees in the coming weeks.
