SF 538: Relating to prohibited activities regarding gender transition procedures relative to minors, and including effective date and applicability provisions

What it does

This bill relates to prohibitions regarding gender transition procedure-related activities relating to minors. The bill provides definitions used in the bill including “gender”, “health care professional”, “minor”, and “sex”. The bill prohibits, with some exceptions, a health care professional from knowingly engaging in or causing specified practices to be performed on a minor if the practice is performed for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or affirm the minor’s perception of, the minor’s gender or sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex.

Lobbying · 6 for, 27 against

For: Iowa Catholic Conference; Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition; Protect My Innocence; The Family Leader; The Family Leader Foundation; VALOR Iowa

Against: AFSCME Iowa Council 61; American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy; Human Rights Campaign; Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund; Iowa Academy of Family Physicians; Iowa Affiliate of the American College of Nurse-Midwives; Iowa Atheists and Freethinkers; Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault; Iowa Environmental Council; Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; Iowa Medical Society; and 15 more

In plain words

1. March 6, 2023Filed in the Senate
2. March 6, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
3. March 7, 2023Passed the Senate, 33–16
4. March 8, 2023Took the place of HF 623 on the House floor (the same legislation)
5. March 8, 2023Passed the House, 58–39
6. March 22, 2023Sent to the Governor
7. March 22, 2023Signed into law