A proposal that would have prevented state funds from being awarded to hospitals that sexually groom children with psychological counseling as part of the gender mutilation process was voted down in the Texas House.
The amendment by State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington) was proposed to be added to legislation that would create a new taxpayer-funded grant program for mental and behavioral health services at children’s hospitals.
Tinderholt had attempted to propose a similar amendment to the same bill on Monday, which would have prevented funds going to any hospital that performs gender mutilation procedures. Ultimately, the effort was struck down by Speaker Dade Phelan after State Rep. Charlie Geren (R–Fort Worth) argued the amendment violated the rules by being non-germane to the bill.
As bills require two separate votes in the House, Tinderholt’s second effort was written more narrowly to apply to the psychological counseling, stating none of the funds awarded by the program could be used to “provide mental health services affirming the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex.”
State Rep. Jacey Jetton (R–Richmond), the author of the bill creating the grant program, urged members to vote against the amendment. Jetton said that as a member of the Public Health Committee, he believed the time to discuss so-called “gender affirming care” was when a bill fully addressing the subject reached the floor.
While the amendment required two-thirds of the body for approval, it failed to reach even a simple majority, being voted down 52-90.
Legislation to ban child gender mutilation has already been passed by the Texas Senate, and only recently has it been approved by the Public Health Committee in the Texas House. That legislation must be approved and scheduled by the Calendars Committee before the full House can vote on it.
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