A new bill proposal would prevent Tennessee healthcare providers from asking gender-related questions to minors without a parent present.
House Bill (HB) 1665, introduced by State Representative Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville) last week, would require parents to give written consent for healthcare providers to ask their children gender-related questions.
Unless a parent approves, healthcare providers can’t ask questions about whether a child “feels normal” in their body, whether the child believes their gender is correct, or whether the child “identifies as a gender” that differs from their sex.
A healthcare provider is also not allowed to include gender-related questions on “written
intake forms, electronic tablets, or questionnaires directed to a minor,” unless a parent has signed approval of it, the bill proposal says.
Parents will have “full access to all written forms, questionnaires, or electronic assessments” that are given to their child “in a healthcare setting,” the bill notes.
Healthcare providers can’t do private interviews with children about “gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other gender-related topic,” unless they are using “reasonable medical judgment.” A parent would still need to approve of this interview, the bill proposal notes.
HB 1665 mandates if a parent allows a doctor to ask gender-related questions, the healthcare provider can only ask questions about the “diagnosis or treatment of a specific medical or psychological condition currently being evaluated.”
HB 1665 lets healthcare providers conduct a private screening of a minor if they “reasonably” believe a child is being trafficked or a victim of “brutality, abuse, or neglect.” The bill proposal allows them to do this to determine whether they need to file a report.
When it comes to insurance providers and managed care organizations, HB 1665 would prevent them from requiring healthcare providers to ask prohibited gender-related questions to obtain payments, keep credentials, or meet compliance standards.
HB 1665 also prevents insurance providers from penalizing healthcare providers who refuse to ask these questions.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of The Star News Network. Email tips to Zachery at zschmidt1717@gmail.com.
