Overview
- House Bill 174, sponsored by Rep. Rex Shipp, would bar cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers for minors unless they were diagnosed with gender dysphoria before January 28, 2023, and it directs providers to create plans for minors who choose to end treatment.
- Witnesses at the committee hearing included detransitioned patient advocate Chloe Cole and Do No Harm’s Dr. Kurt Miceli arguing against pediatric hormone treatment, while clinicians and residents urged lawmakers to reject the bill over access and mental health concerns.
- A legislature-commissioned Utah Department of Health and Human Services review spanning more than 1,000 pages identified 230 studies covering about 28,056 trans youth and concluded that blocking access to pediatric hormone therapy cannot be supported by the evidence.
- Legislative leaders previously dismissed the department’s findings, and the Health and Human Services Committee did not publicly discuss the report across six hearings held in 2025, according to local reporting.
- A separate proposal, H.B. 193 from Rep. Nicholeen Peck, would prohibit public funding for certain gender-affirming care and could force the shutdown of a major University of Utah trans health program, as reported by the Salt Lake Tribune; nationally, Trump administration actions continue to pressure providers and funding.