WASHINGTON – Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act, a bill prohibiting federal funding of sex-reassignment research on minors.  Medical interventions to reassign sex are experimental, irreversible, and often fail to produce the intended effects of improving patients’ mental health.  This bill would prohibit federal funding from being used in research or publications that seek to establish or affirm gender identities that are incongruent with a minor’s biological sex.

Of the bill, Sen. Lee said, “The Federal Government should never fund research that harms kids.  This bill will protect taxpayers from funding spurious research, but more importantly, it will protect kids from the permanent damage this irresponsible research can produce.”

Sen. Lee is joined by Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), James Lankford (R-OK), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) as cosponsors.

The following have endorsed the bill:

Terry Schilling, President, American Principles Project said, "Most Americans do not want their tax dollars going towards studies that encourage children to undergo experimental, dangerous procedures to 'change' their sex. Yet here in Washington, left-wing ideologues in government seem intent on overruling the people and imposing their extreme ideology on the rest of the country. Thankfully, we still have courageous leaders like Senator Mike Lee willing to stand up to this insanity. APP applauds Sen. Lee for introducing this important legislation, and we urge every senator with an ounce of decency to support this common-sense bill." 

Jessica Anderson, Executive Director, Heritage Action for America said, “Unproven, irreversible procedures related to gender transitions for children do more harm than good, as research shows that 80 to 95 percent of children with gender dysphoria no longer feel distressed by their bodies after puberty. The Left will stop at nothing to remake society, including waging war on our children, which is why Senator Lee’s Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act, which prevents federal funds from being used to support research that preys on confused children, is so important.” 

Joseph Kohm, Public Policy Director of Family Policy Alliance said, “American taxpayers should only fund sound, unbiased research -- and when studies involve children and center around politically charged issues, these standards become even more imperative. Sadly, several NIH-funded studies fail this basic test: they are clearly biased in support of a fabricated narrative that children experiencing gender dysphoria should begin transition as early as possible. One of the studies even lacks a control group – indicating the researcher’s lack of concern for what happens when a child is not pressured to pursue transition. Senator Lee’s Protecting Our Kids from Harmful Research Act exposes these serious concerns. The public—and especially families with children struggling to identify with their birth sex-- deserves the unbiased truth about such a critical issue. We endorse Senator Lee’s efforts to ensure scientific integrity through his bill.”

Doreen Denny, Vice President of Government Relations, Concerned Women for America LAC said, “Under the direction of Dr. Francis Collins, NIH has fueled the promotion of reckless gender experimentation on youth, approving irreversible treatments for children as young as 8. This is not science, it’s medical scandal. Federal research should protect vulnerable children, not be complicit in subjecting them to irreversible damage in studies pushed by gender activists. No minor has the capacity to give informed consent for the lifelong consequences of taking destructing “gender transition” drugs. CWA has been working to expose this unethical federally-supported research and we applaud Sen. Lee for introducing legislation to stop it.” 

A one-pager of the bill can be read here.  The full text of the bill can be read here.