The Texas Department of State Health Services will no longer amend birth certificates for gender-confused individuals.
As first reported by KXAN, the DSHS website previously provided instructions on how to use court orders to alter the sex listed on a birth certificate. However, those instructions have now been removed, and DSHS will only accept changes for clerical or hospital errors.
Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for DSHS, confirmed the change:
Recent public reports have highlighted concerns about the validity of court orders purporting to amend sex for purposes of state-issued documents. DSHS is seeking assistance from the Office of Attorney General to determine the applicability of these concerns to amendments to vital records. DSHS is no longer altering applicants’ sex on birth certificates based on these court orders.
Texas Family Project President Brady Gray told Texas Scorecard he “applauded the DSHS decision to prioritize truth and reality above ideology.”
“This marks yet another example of the strength and leadership of our Attorney General. Texas is becoming the leader in these issues and setting the example for the rest of the country. I look forward to 89th session, with the most conservative legislature our state has ever had. We are bullish on the opportunity to further make Texas the envy the nation,” said Gray.
This policy change follows the Texas Department of Public Safety’s recent announcement that they will no longer process sex changes on driver’s licenses.
In 2022, Texas Scorecard reported a significant rise in court-ordered sex changes on birth certificates in Texas. In 2015, only 34 such changes were recorded, compared to 385 in 2021.
Legislation by State Sen. Charles Perry to prohibit sex changes on birth certificates passed the Texas Senate in 2023 but did not receive a committee hearing in the House.
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