Surprise ban on puberty blockers passed by Georgia Senate
FOX 5 Atlanta file photo
ATLANTA - Georgia Senate Republicans added two last-minute amendments to House Bill 54, a measure originally aimed at increasing access to home health care services. The amended bill passed Tuesday in a party-line vote, according to the Georgia Recorder.
What we know:
The first amendment, introduced by Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, would prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers to minors diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Watson said the restriction would apply only to those under 18 and would not prevent adults from seeking gender-affirming care.
The second amendment, authored by Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia, would bar Georgia’s state health insurance plan from covering gender-affirming care for state employees and their dependents. It would also prohibit state-owned hospitals from providing such care. The language mirrors Senate Bill 39, which cleared the Senate in 2025 but did not receive a House vote.
Georgia lawmakers in 2023 banned gender-affirming surgeries and hormone therapy for minors but allowed puberty blockers. A separate 2025 law banning gender-affirming care for transgender inmates is currently under appeal after a federal judge ruled it likely unconstitutional.
What they're saying:
Watson, a physician specializing in internal medicine and geriatrics, said the measure does not restrict care for adults.
"If you’re an adult and you choose to do that, then that is on you," Watson said.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican candidate for governor, praised the bill’s passage.
Senate Democrats criticized the amendments as politically motivated. Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, said the move shifts focus away from economic concerns.
"Culture war bills are the easy things to do, to pick on vulnerable populations and try to distract your voters and the voters of Georgia from the failure of the Republican agenda in this country and in this state to deliver a good quality of life for Georgians," Parent said.
Bentley Hudgins, Georgia state director of the Human Rights Campaign, also criticized the measure.
"They couldn’t get their divisive agenda across the finish line last year, so they doubled down on treating children and trans adults as less than," Hudgins said. "Bullies don’t belong in government."
Supporters of gender-affirming care point to statements from major medical organizations — including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pediatric Endocrine Society and the American Psychological Association — that describe puberty blockers and hormone therapy as safe and effective treatments for gender dysphoria.
What's next:
The amended bill now returns to the Georgia House for consideration. According to the Georgia Recorder, a spokesperson for House Speaker Jon Burns said there might not be much interest in taking up the measure.