Latest news with #SB406
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Senate passes bill disallowing sex changes on birth certificates
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Senate on Thursday voted to pass a bill that would prevent Texans from changing the sex assigned on their birth certificates. The bill will move forward to be heard in the Texas House of Representatives. Senate Bill 406 was authored by Texas Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, and it was one of the first bills filed in the 89th Legislative Session. What KXAN is watching during the 89th Legislative Session The bill relates 'to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons,' according to its web page on the Texas Legislature's website. The full text of the current version of SB 406 can be read below. SB406Download Middleton said in a press release that the bill 'further ensures fairness in women's sports,' and that it follows directives from President Trump's administration and Gov. Abbott's office. 'President Trump has a nationwide executive order recognizing just two sexes, biological male and biological female, which expressly excludes gender identity,' Middleton stated in the release. 'Governor Abbott has also signed an agency directive to follow the executive order and disregard court orders to change 'sex' on birth certificates and driver's licenses.' Things to know about how Trump's policies target transgender people Last fall, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped allowing Texans to change the gender marker on their licenses via court orders or amended birth certificates that change a person's sex if it differs from the documentation the department already has on file. A source told KXAN at the time that the policy came as a directive from the Texas governor's office Shortly after, the Department of State Health Services, or DSHS, stopped allowing Texans to use a court order to change the sex on their birth certificate. DPS ending ID gender changes could spur legislation, lawsuits Just weeks ago, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an opinion stating that state agencies should not honor court orders to change the sex on someone's driver's license or birth certificate. Paxton also said state agencies should retroactively correct any changes they've made to driver's licenses or birth certificates over the years based on these court orders. Middleton said in the press release that the bill 'reiterates in our state code what Texas is already doing under the federal executive order and Governor Abbott's directive. It also closes aloophole courts created with no authority to try and change vital statistics from the time of birth.' 'Not going to be scared off': Transgender Texan shares experience working in state's legislature An introduced bill must be read three times by the Senate before it is voted on then taken to the House where it would also be read three times before a vote. If passed by both chambers, it would then go to the governor's desk before it becomes a law. SB 406 still needs to move through the Texas House before it can be enacted as law. The Texas Legislature is considering at least 80 anti-LGBTQ+ bills this session, approximately 15.2% of such bills across the U.S., according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill would ban gender changes on Texas birth certificates
The Brief SB 406 would prevent gender changes on birth certificates in Texas, even with a court order. The lawmaker who sponsored the bill said it's not about restricting anyone's personal expression. He argued it's about ensuring legal documents are accurate. The bill follows other recent conservative laws aimed at the transgender community, including banning biological men from playing on women's teams in high school and college sports. DALLAS - The Texas Senate is debating a bill that would restrict people from changing the gender on their birth certificates. What we know Last year, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped changing gender on driver's licenses except in cases where the courts intervened. SB 406 would block that change from happening on birth certificates, even with a court order. It builds on a push for conservative laws from the Texas Legislature. In recent sessions, lawmakers have banned biological men from playing on women's teams in public schools and college sports. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order at the beginning of his second term recognizing only two genders – male and female. What they're saying "This bill is not about restricting anyone's personal expression. It is about ensuring legal documents reflect accurate statistics," said State Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Republican from Galveston who sponsored the bill. "Right now, the only way to change sex is by court order, and this bill prevents that. "You can't change your DNA or chromosomes by surgery or drugs," said Denise Seibert, who supports the bill. "This is a matter of public safety and public record. If a man can legally change his birth certificate to say he is a woman, then it's possible to get a driver's license, passport, and social security card that also says he is female," added Megan Benton with Texas Values. The other side Several transgender Texans testified as the bill was discussed in Monday's State Affairs Committee meeting. They feel they are being unfairly targeted. "I'm not a monster. This is not a fetish for me, and I did not decide to be a woman," said Amanda McLaughlin. "What harm have I caused society? I don't play sports. The only thing I want to do in the bathroom is use the bathroom and touch up my makeup and wash my hands," said Megan Fairbanks. Landon Richie, a policy coordinator for the Transgender Education Network of Texas, argued the bill would cause isolation and give others an incentive to discriminate or put targets on the backs of already vulnerable people. What's next The bill is likely to sail through the conservative Texas Senate. The real test will be in the House. In past sessions, very conservative bills have not gotten a hearing or passed the full House. The Source The information in this story comes from statements that were made during Monday's Texas Senate committee meeting on state affairs.
