SB30: SB30 Hospitals and Related Institutions; hormone therapies and puberty-blocking medications for certain purposes to minors; prohibit prescribing or administering

Georgia law already restricts hospitals and physicians from performing sex reassignment surgeries, hormone therapies, and puberty-blocking treatments on minors for the purpose of aligning their appearance with a gender identity different from their sex. This bill rewrites two existing Georgia laws, one covering hospitals and related institutions (O.C.G.A. § 31-7-3.5) and one covering physicians licensed by the Georgia Composite Medical Board (O.C.G.A. § 43-34-15), to broaden the ban to cover both reversible and irreversible treatments, not just irreversible ones. The bill carves out a narrow path for puberty-blocking medication: it can still be prescribed if two behavioral health professionals diagnose gender dysphoria, a specially board-certified physician conducts a full assessment, all parents or guardians give written informed consent (with a court able to resolve disagreements), the physician files annual reports with the state medical board, and the minor gets quarterly counseling. The bill also lets a parent or guardian sue an institution or physician for violations within two years, while shielding providers from liability if they followed the required steps.

• Expands the existing ban on gender dysphoria treatments for minors to cover both reversible and irreversible procedures, not just irreversible ones, at hospitals and by physicians.
• Creates a narrow legal pathway allowing puberty-blocking medication if two independent behavioral health professionals diagnose gender dysphoria and a specially certified physician evaluates the minor.
• Requires written informed consent from all parents or legal guardians before puberty blockers can be prescribed, with courts able to settle disputes between parents.
• Requires the prescribing physician to file an annual report with the Georgia Composite Medical Board and requires the minor to attend quarterly counseling during treatment.
• Creates a two-year window for parents or guardians to bring a civil lawsuit against an institution or physician who violates these rules, while protecting compliant providers from liability.
• Directs the Department of Community Health to set sanctions, up to revoking a hospital's operating permit, for institutions that violate the law.

Transgender minors seeking hormone therapy, puberty blockers, or related treatment in Georgia; their parents and legal guardians; physicians (especially pediatric endocrinologists and adolescent medicine specialists) and behavioral health professionals who diagnose or treat them; hospitals and licensed institutions; and the Georgia Composite Medical Board and Department of Community Health, which enforce the rules.

The bill changes who can legally get puberty-blocking medication in Georgia and under what conditions, adding new diagnostic, consent, reporting, and counseling requirements. It also creates a two-year window for parents to sue institutions or doctors, meaning both families and medical providers face new legal exposure tied to these treatments.

• Section 1 revises O.C.G.A. § 31-7-3.5 to prohibit hospitals and licensed institutions from performing or prescribing reversible or irreversible gender dysphoria treatments on minors, with defined exceptions.
• The revised law defines 'hormone therapy,' 'puberty-blocking medication,' 'sex,' and 'sex reassignment surgery' for purposes of the prohibition.
• Puberty-blocking medication remains allowed if diagnosed by two behavioral health professionals, prescribed by a specially certified physician, consented to in writing by all parents/guardians, reported annually to the state medical board, and paired with quarterly counseling.
• Section 1 lets a parent or guardian sue an institution for a violation within two years of the violation, but shields institutions that followed the exception's conditions from liability.
• Section 2 makes parallel changes to O.C.G.A. § 43-34-15, applying the same broadened prohibition, exception process, and two-year civil action right to individual physicians rather than institutions.
• The Georgia Composite Medical Board must adopt rules with exceptions for other medical conditions, disorders of sex development, partial androgen insensitivity syndrome, and minors already receiving treatment before set 2023 and 2025 cutoff dates.
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (House)
2. 2025-03-27House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
3. 2025-03-06House Second Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-04House First Readers (House)
5. 2025-03-03Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-03Senate Third Read (Senate)
7. 2025-02-18Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
8. 2025-02-13Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)

• Ben Watson (R, SD-001)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Matt Brass (R, SD-006)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• Larry Walker (R, SD-020)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Mike Hodges (R, SD-003)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)
• Ricky Williams (R, SD-025)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Frank Ginn (R, SD-047)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)

1. FailedSenate voteMarch 3, 2025

   20 yea, 34 nay (2 not voting, 0 absent)

   Adoption Of Amendment #1 By The Senator From The 44th: Senate Vote #119

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 3, 2025

   34 yea, 19 nay (3 not voting, 0 absent)

   Passage: Senate Vote #120

• transgender healthcare
• gender dysphoria treatment
• minors and medical consent
• hospital regulation
• medical licensing