On Thursday, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill that would criminalize adults who help minors seek sex change procedures without parental consent.
This comes after Tennessee voted to ban sex change procedures for minors earlier this year.
SB 2782, which was passed in the House on a 63-16 vote. It was sponsored by state Senator Janice Bowling and would make it a felony offense for an adult to recruit, harbor, or transport an unemancipated minor within the state of Tennessee for the purpose of receiving a prohibited medical procedure that would alter the minor’s biological sex or affirm a minor’s gender identity.
The law does not apply to a parent or legal guardian of the minor or an adult who received permission from the minor’s legal parent or guardian, according to the bill.
An adult who breaks the law will be charged with a class C felony, which carries a prison sentence between 3 to 15 years and fines up to $10,000.
The bill states that a person who violates the law can be held liable in a civil action lawsuit.
