The Arizona House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2085, a proposal from State Representative Lisa Fink (R-AZ) that expands restrictions on gender transition procedures for minors.
Current state law already bans gender reassignment surgery for people under 18. HB 2085 takes that further by banning all gender transition procedures for minors and preventing healthcare professionals from referring young people to those treatments.
The bill also blocks taxpayer money from being used to fund these procedures through public programs, government facilities, or state employees. It also stops the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) from covering or reimbursing them.
“Kids should not have permanent, life-altering medical procedures pushed on them by adults,” Rep. Fink said. “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.’”
There are a few exceptions in the bill. These include medical treatment for certain physical conditions known as disorders of sex development, care for problems caused by past procedures, or emergency cases.
Any healthcare provider who violates the new law could face professional discipline or civil penalties. The bill also gives the state's Attorney General the power to enforce the law in court.
“If a provider violates the law, there must be consequences. That is accountability,” Fink said.
If passed, the new restrictions would take effect after March 31, 2027. The vote split along party lines, with Republicans supporting the bill and Democrats opposing it.
