Arizona House Approves Sweeping Ban on Transgender Treatments and Referrals for Minors

A bill to expand the ban on using taxpayer money for transgender treatments for minors has passed Arizona’s Republican-led House and is now headed to the Senate for a final vote.

On Feb. 24, HB 2085 passed by a vote of 32–23. All Democrats voted against the bill.

In 2022, Arizona banned transgender surgeries for minors. The following year, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, signed an executive order that provides shield-style protections for transgender health care that remains legal in the state, according to LGBTMap.org.

HB2085 would ban transgender procedures and referrals for anyone younger than 18, building on the 2022 statewide ban.

It blocks taxpayer funding for these procedures and classifies physician referrals as unprofessional conduct.

The bill would also ban transgender procedures in government-run buildings and by government workers.

It would stop Arizona’s Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) from paying for or covering these procedures for minors, according to the legislation.

“Kids should not have permanent, life-altering medical procedures pushed on them by adults,” state Rep. Lisa Fink, a Republican and the bill’s main sponsor, said in a statement.

“HB 2085 protects minors from procedures that can sterilize them, harm healthy development, and lock them into lifelong medical dependence. If you are under 18, you are simply not old enough to consent to irreversible interventions dressed up as ‘health care.’”

The bill would take effect after March 31, 2027, to allow minors currently using puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones time to taper and discontinue under medical supervision.

Medical Exemptions

The measure allows medical exceptions for conditions that affect how a person’s sex develops and for treating problems caused or worsened by the procedures.

It also allows exceptions in emergencies with a risk of death or serious harm to an important body function.

HB 2085 regards violations as unprofessional conduct that can lead to licensing discipline.

The bill also allows civil enforcement actions and gives the attorney general the power to ensure compliance with the law.

It allows individuals younger than 18 to initiate a lawsuit through a parent or trusted adult and permits them to file on their own from ages 18 to 20.

“This bill also stops taxpayers from being forced to bankroll these procedures through government facilities, government employees, or AHCCCS coverage,” Fink said.

“Public institutions should not subsidize or participate in these procedures on minors. If a provider violates the law, there must be consequences. That is accountability.”

The Epoch Times reached out to House Minority Leader Lupe Contreras for comment.

As of February, 27 states had enacted laws or policies that ban or significantly restrict transgender procedures or treatments for minors.

According to the Williams Institute, more than 2.8 million people aged 13 and older identify as transgender, making up about 1 percent of this age group.

About 724,000 people in the United States aged 13 to 17 identify as transgender, which is 3.3 percent of this age group.

Online Predators Targeted

In other legislative action, Arizona’s House passed a bipartisan bill on Feb. 23 that increases penalties for adult offenders who target teens online for sexual extortion.

HB 2666 raises the penalty for sexual extortion if the offender is 18 or older and knows, or should have known, that the victim is between 15 and 17.

In these cases, the offense is now a class 2 felony instead of a class 3 felony. The bill also requires prison sentences for these crimes to be served consecutively with other sentences for sexual extortion.

The current law does not change for younger victims. If the victim is younger than 15, sexual extortion is already a class 2 felony and is punished under the state’s rules for dangerous crimes against children, according to the bill.

The bill defines sexual extortion as using threats, often involving sexual images or recordings, to coerce a victim into exploitation or compliance.

“Sexual extortion is hitting Arizona teens hard, and the predators behind it know exactly what they’re doing,” state Rep. Pamela Carter, a Republican and the bill’s prime sponsor, said in a statement.

“If you prey on teens for money or sexual favors, you should face a class 2 felony and mandatory consecutive prison time. No probation. No shortcuts. No easy way out.”

HB 2666 now moves to the Republican-led Arizona Senate for review.

Gender-Specific School Sports

On Feb. 23, Arizona’s House passed a resolution to protect girls’ sports and privacy rights.

House Concurrent Resolution 2003, the Protect Girls’ Sports in Arizona Act, requires school-sponsored interscholastic and intramural athletic teams to be designated as male, female, or co-educational based on biological sex.

The act is also aimed at protecting privacy by prohibiting schools and athletic associations from allowing people to use private athletic facilities that do not match their gender.

“Women’s sports were created because biological differences matter. When those differences are ignored, girls lose roster spots, scholarships, and opportunities they earned,” state Rep. Selina Bliss, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said in a statement.

“Court rulings have created uncertainty for schools and families. This referral allows Arizona voters to decide whether girls’ sports should remain for girls. It protects privacy in locker rooms and showers and restores clarity statewide.”

Bliss said that HCR 2003 allows voters to protect female athletes and set clear, lasting rules for schools.

It also restores and strengthens provisions of Arizona’s 2022 Save Women’s Sports Act that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals partially blocked.

The bill will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and cover grades K–12. It bars male athletes from joining female teams, protects athletes from retaliation, and allows them to take legal action if they lose opportunities because of violations.

The bill also protects schools and athletic associations from penalties when they keep separate teams for female athletes.

HCR 2003 will now advance to the Arizona Senate. If approved, it will appear on the general election ballot in November.