House Judiciary Committee Republicans unanimously approved a legislative proposal Wednesday that establishes a Private Right of Action enabling an individual child, or her parents or guardian, to seek compensatory damages from a provider of transgender surgery or treatments.

“An individual subjected as a child to a covered intervention, or the parents or legal guardians of such individual, may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States for damages against any health care professional, hospital, or clinic who participates in the covered intervention on that child. Such a cause of action shall be available regardless of whether the alleged covered intervention occurred before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act,” the proposal states, entitled the “Chloe Cole Act of 2026,” introduced by Rep. Bob Onder (R-Wis.) and co-sponsored by 86 other House Republicans.

All eight of the Democratic members of the judiciary panel opposed the 15 Republicans after the mark-up process. Typically, the next stop for the measure would be the House Rules Committee, which would determine how it would be reported to and considered by the full House. House Republican leaders have the controlling vote on if or when the proposal comes to the full House.

In a statement released by the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF), Onder said, “It is unacceptable that politics and ideology have been allowed to override sound medical judgment, leaving vulnerable children to undergo irreversible procedures without a comprehensive psychological evaluation, treatment of underlying mental health conditions, or truly informed parental consent. Children deserve medical care grounded in scientific evidence, not experimental interventions driven by biased agendas. The Chloe Cole Act would allow families to hold clinics and hospitals accountable and ensure victims have adequate time to seek justice,” he insisted. “This legislation is urgently needed, and I am proud that the House Judiciary Committee has advanced this critical bill so we can continue fighting to protect children and hold those who harmed them accountable.” 

Onder introduced the proposal in the House in February following President Donald Trump’s issuance of Executive Order 14187, which provided a comprehensive statement of opposition to all forms of transgender surgery and treatment on minors, subject to exceptions such as individuals born with both male and female genitalia.

Trump signed the order because, according to the text, “Across the country today, medical professionals are maiming and sterilizing a growing number of impressionable children under the radical and false claim that adults can change a child’s sex through a series of irreversible medical interventions. This dangerous trend will be a stain on our Nation’s history, and it must end.”

The EO continued, “Countless children soon regret that they have been mutilated and begin to grasp the horrifying tragedy that they will never be able to conceive children of their own or nurture their children through breastfeeding. Moreover, these vulnerable youths’ medical bills may rise throughout their lifetimes, as they are often trapped with lifelong medical complications, a losing war with their own bodies, and, tragically, sterilization.”

It is difficult to know with precision how many minors have experienced transgender surgery in recent years. The largest estimate was issued in October 2024 by Do No Harm, an advocacy group consisting of medical professionals. The Do No Harm database included nearly 5,800 cases of minors receiving gender transition operations and treatment between 2019 and 2023.

Do No Harm, which is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, backs congressional passage of the Chloe Cole Act, and its Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Kurt Miceli, applauded “the elected officials who are fighting for The Chloe Cole Act, which establishes a private right of action for individuals who were harmed as vulnerable children by the sex-change industry. For too long the scandal of sex-rejecting procedures on minors has proliferated to an alarming degree through misinformation and pseudoscience.”

He continued, “These interventions carry significant risks, cause great harms, and often do irreversible damage. Passing The Chloe Cole Act will not only establish a strong deterrent against sex-rejecting procedures in minors by exposing harmful actors to real legal accountability but also mark a meaningful step toward justice for those harmed by the child sex-change industry.”

The Onder proposal is named after Chloe Cole, a self-described 22-year-old “detrans kid,” who, at age 13, began undergoing puberty-blocking and testosterone treatments, and then at age 15 suffered an irreversible double mastectomy. At age 18, she became a national advocate for the growing number of transitioned minors who regret having undergone the controversial procedures.

Chloe, who is a participant in IWF advocacy programs, said of the mark-up vote, “It means more than I can put into words to see the Chloe Cole Act introduced to potentially be made into U.S. law. While I never wanted my story to become the reason this bill exists, I hope it helps ensure that fewer children experience the lifelong consequences that I have.”

And in a statement issued earlier this year by Onder, Chloe observed: “While we’ve made significant strides in raising awareness and enacting protections in recent years, the fight is far from over. Too many children remain at risk of irreversible harm from puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures pushed on them before they can fully understand the consequences. Reintroducing this bill is a vital step in our mission to ensure that no minor in America ever endures the kind of lasting, irreparable damage I experienced,” she underscored. “We must finish what we’ve started and safeguard the next generation from these experimental and barbaric treatments,” Cole said in the statement issued by Onder.

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) told The Washington Stand that he applauds “Representative Onder’s leadership on guiding the Chloe Cole Act through our committee. This crucial bill will protect vulnerable children.” Rep. Mark Harris (R-N.C.) agreed, reiterating to TWS that “every child deserves the chance to grow up as God created them — not be subjected to drugs and irreversible procedures that can cause lifelong harm. The Chloe Cole Act will protect vulnerable children, give victims and their families a path to justice, and hold accountable the clinics and medical providers responsible for these unethical procedures. I thank Congressman Onder for his leadership and was proud to support his legislation’s passage out of committee.”

Should the proposal be considered by the rules panel, six of the nine members of the Republican majority, including Vice Chairman Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), are co-sponsors, including Reps. Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Austin Scott of Georgia, Chip Roy of Texas, Erin Houchin of Indiana, and Brian Jack of Georgia.

Scott told TWS Thursday that “our kids must be protected from the harms of transgender ideology. The Chloe Cole Act provides a framework for families to fight against harmful, irreversible medical procedures on minors, while ensuring medical accountability and protecting kids from irreversible harm.”