Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act

The Jamie Reed Protecting Our Kids from Child Abuse Act aims to establish a federal legal framework, known as a federal tort, that would allow individuals to seek damages for injuries related to gender-transition procedures received before the age of 18. Under this proposal, patients could sue pediatric gender clinics and medical practitioners for compensatory and punitive damages if they experience bodily injury or mental health harm attributable to such procedures. The bill defines these procedures to include the use of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and gender-affirming surgeries intended to align a minor's physical appearance with a gender identity that differs from their biological sex.

If enacted, the legislation would provide a 30-year window after a minor reaches adulthood to file a lawsuit. It also proposes to prohibit federal funding for any facility that performs these procedures on minors or is affiliated with an entity that does. The bill includes specific exceptions for medical interventions involving ambiguous biological sex characteristics or certain genetic conditions. Additionally, it offers an affirmative defense for medical providers who can prove they had no reason to know the patient was a minor at the time of treatment.