Texas Bill Proposes Felony Charges for Transgender Identity on Official Documents

House Bill 3817 could criminalize transgender Texans for identifying differently from their sex assigned at birth in official and workplace contexts.

The proposed Texas legislation, introduced by Republican Rep. Tom Oliverson, would create a new felony offense termed 'gender identity fraud.'
Violators could face up to two years in jail and a $10,000 fine for misrepresenting their sex assigned at birth to government entities or employers.
The bill, which lacks co-sponsors and committee support, is considered unlikely to pass but represents an escalation in anti-transgender legislative efforts in Texas.
If enacted, the law would block transgender individuals from updating government-issued IDs, birth certificates, or employment records to reflect their gender identity.
This proposal aligns with broader national trends, including recent federal policies under President Trump that restrict gender identity recognition on official documents.