Sex change surgery for Kansas minors could be banned with new bill

TOPEKA (KSNT) – State lawmakers are discussing a new bill which seeks to halt gender transition services on minors in Kansas.

Republican Representative Brenda Landwehr introduced House Bill 2792 on Friday, Feb. 12 to the legislature. The bill, if passed in its current state, will prohibit gender transition surgery for those below the age of 18, authorize professional discipline against physicians who perform such surgeries and adopt a standard of care for gender transition care services.

Gender transition surgery, as defined in the bill, includes procedures which artificially build tissue with the appearance of genitalia that is different from the individual’s biological sex. This includes procedures such as metoidioplasty, phalloplasty and vaginoplasty along with augmentation, mammoplasty or subcutaneous mastectomy.

The bill also requires physicians to follow the guidelines established in “Endocrine Treatment of Gender-Dysphoric/Gender-Incongruent Persons: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.”

In 2023, the Kansas Legislature passed a similar bill, Senate Bill 26, which would have created a civil cause of action against a physician who performs childhood gender reassignment service and resulted in the revocation of a physician’s license who performed such services. This bill was vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly and sustained following a 26-14 vote in the Kansas Senate.

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