Protect Children’s Innocence Act

This bill would establish federal criminal penalties for performing gender-affirming surgeries or providing transition-related medications to minors, with exceptions for certain medical conditions or complications from previous procedures. It also proposes to expand the existing federal prohibition on female genital mutilation (FGM) to include any person who facilitates or consents to the procedure. Under the bill, individuals who undergo these procedures would be protected from arrest or prosecution, while violators could face fines and up to 10 years in prison.

This bill affects medical professionals and individuals who perform, attempt, or facilitate gender-affirming procedures or medications for minors. It also impacts any person who facilitates or consents to female genital mutilation (FGM) on a minor, expanding beyond the current scope of parents and guardians. Minors who undergo these procedures are explicitly protected from arrest or prosecution under the bill's provisions.

• Criminalization of gender-affirming care for minors. The bill establishes federal criminal offenses for knowingly performing procedures or providing medications, such as hormonal treatments, to a minor for the purpose of changing their body to correspond to a sex different from their biological sex.
• Exceptions for specific medical conditions. The bill provides exceptions for procedures involving individuals with specific biological conditions, such as abnormal sex chromosome structures or both ovarian and testicular tissue, as well as treatments for harms resulting from previous gender-transition procedures.
• Penalties and legal protections for patients. Violations are punishable by fines and up to 10 years in prison, though the bill explicitly prohibits the arrest or prosecution of any individual who undergoes these procedures or medications.
• Expansion of female genital mutilation (FGM) prohibitions. The bill broadens existing federal law to prohibit any person from facilitating or consenting to FGM on a minor, whereas current law only applies to parents, guardians, or caretakers.

• H.R. 3492, Protect Children’s Innocence Act
  Jan 29, 2026 · As passed by the House of Representatives on December 17, 2025

This bill modifies the existing federal criminal offense regarding female genital mutilation (FGM) by expanding the scope of prohibited conduct to include facilitation or consent by any person. Additionally, it establishes new federal criminal offenses for providing gender-affirming care to minors while providing specific exceptions for certain medical conditions and prior procedure complications.

The bill aims to establish federal criminal penalties for providing gender-affirming care to minors and to expand the scope of existing federal prohibitions against female genital mutilation (FGM). It seeks to prohibit medical procedures or medications intended to change a minor's body to correspond to a sex different from their biological sex, while also broadening the legal accountability for those who facilitate or consent to FGM.