Republican lawmakers in both chambers of Congress have introduced the “Chloe Cole Act," a measure that would ban "gender transition" medical procedures for minors.
The bill would prohibit puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures for anyone under 18. It also opens a legal path for detransitioners to sue doctors who provided these chemical and surgical procedures to minors.
The legislation is named after Chloe Cole, a detransitioner who has spoken out against the double mastectomy and hormone treatments she underwent at 15 years old.
Rep. Bob Onder, R-Mo., is leading the effort in the House, while Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is sponsoring the Senate version.
"As a member of Congress, a doctor, a parent, and an American, I am committed to protecting our nation’s children,” Onder said in a statement. “That’s why I am proud to introduce the Chloe Cole Act, a landmark bill that will put a permanent stop to one of the most dangerous and barbaric medical procedures in modern history.”
In a statement, CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt praised the bill, calling it a step toward protecting children.
Thank you, @catholickelsey, for your dedication and support in this mission. I’m grateful that you and @CatholicVote recognize the gravity of this issue.
— Bob Onder (@RepBobOnder) September 25, 2025
The Chloe Cole Act will protect countless children and families, and your statement of support means so much as we work to… pic.twitter.com/5oQBlL3pll
The legislation “confronts the tragedy not only of Chloe Cole — a detransitioner who underwent a double mastectomy at 15 — but of countless others like her,” Reinhardt said. “Embracing her Catholic faith gave Chloe the strength to fight back.”
“Children suffering from gender confusion need help and guidance,” she added. “The Chloe Cole Act makes it more likely they will get that assistance and ends the perverse incentives for hospitals and gender clinics to make money off of mutilating children, an industry that makes billions every year. Thank you to Congressman Onder and all the cosponsors for leading on this issue.”
In a Sept. 18 statement, Blackburn said the measure “would put a stop to this barbaric abuse of children and give those who have suffered the consequences of these harmful procedures the chance to fight back.”
Her office cited data showing that from 2019 to 2023, more than 5,000 minors underwent surgical mutilation, nearly 14,000 received “sex change treatments,” more than 8,000 received puberty blockers and hormones, and more than 62,000 “sex change prescriptions” were written for children.
The Department of Justice and several conservative groups have already signaled support for the proposal.
The bill would also codify President Donald Trump’s January executive order, titled "Protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation," according to Blackburn's office. As CatholicVote reported, the order directed federal agencies to cut all federal funding of “chemical and surgical mutilation” and take action to end “gender-affirming care” on children.