House committee advances Chloe Cole Act allowing children harmed by ‘gender transition’ procedures to sue

The Chloe Cole Act of 2026 advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee July 15, bringing the legislation one step closer to a vote by the full House. The bill would allow people who allege that they were harmed by “gender transition” procedures performed on them as minors to sue the medical providers and institutions involved. 

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bob Onder, R-Mo., may now be considered by the full House. 

Onder announced the legislation’s advancement in an X post, saying lawmakers had “stood on the right side of history to protect our nation’s children.” 

“As a member of Congress, a physician, a parent, and a concerned American, I am committed to safeguarding the health and well-being of America’s youth,” he added.

The legislation, named after Catholic detransitioner Chloe Cole, would create a private right of action against medical professionals, clinics, and hospitals involved in prescribing puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones or performing “gender transition” surgeries on patients younger than 18. It would extend the period for filing claims and allow plaintiffs to seek damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and other alleged harms.

During the committee markup, Onder described the issue as one of the most consequential facing children today.

“Children too young to purchase a cigarette or drive a car are being coerced by adults in positions of authority to undergo life-altering, harmful so-called gender transition procedures, without fully understanding the effects of these procedures on their long-term health and lives,” he said.

He cited studies that he said found that between 61% and 98% of children experiencing gender dysphoria eventually came to identify with their biological sex if they were properly supported through puberty.

Onder accused some LGBT activists and medical professionals of exploiting vulnerable children — often those who are depressed, anxious, or victims of abuse — by telling desperate parents that “transition” is the only way to prevent their child’s suicide.

“They cynically ask the question, ‘Would you rather have a live son or a dead daughter?’” Onder said. “There is little to no evidence that chemically and surgically mutilating children does anything to treat their actual underlying mental health struggles.” 

He pointed to a Finnish study that he said found that patients’ mental health problems “get dramatically worse” after undergoing the procedures.

The congressman welcomed recent moves by some medical organizations to recommend delaying “gender transition” surgeries, noting that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and the American Medical Association have revised positions to recommend delaying such surgeries until at least age 19.

“My profession and society at large need to take a hard look in the mirror and remind ourselves of the ancient principle of medicine: ‘Primum non nocere,’” Onder said. “First, do no harm.”

Onder also highlighted the case of the bill’s namesake, Cole, who testified before the committee in 2023 at 19 years old.

Cole “was rushed into sex-rejecting procedures: first puberty blockers, then testosterone. Starting at age 12, she suffered a double mastectomy at age 15, only to deeply regret it by age 16,” Onder said. “Now she suffers a multitude of health complications, and Chloe testified that she was never suicidal until after she was subjected to sex-rejecting procedures.” 

He described her experience as “unfortunate, but not unique,” citing accounts from other detransitioners who have reported anxiety, depression, surgical complications, blood clots, bone and endocrine disorders, fertility issues, and lifelong medical needs.

“History and the American people are on the side of protecting children,” Onder concluded. “Protecting children should not be a partisan issue. I urge all my colleagues, Democrat and Republican, to support this bill.” 

The legislation follows a January 2025 executive order from President Donald Trump directing federal agencies to end all federal support for the “chemical and surgical mutilation” of children and take action to end “gender-affirming care” being practiced on children.

Cole celebrated the act’s advancement in a July 15 X post, saying, “We are now one step closer to ensuring children in ALL of the United States are protected from transgender medical experimentation!”

>> Detransitioner Chloe Cole urges Congress to ban gender ‘transition’ procedures for minors <<