House Democrat Introduces Bill To Expand Access To Trans Health Care
Source: Huff Post
Mar 31, 2025, 05:46 PM EDT
Democratic Rep. Becca Balint — the first openly gay lawmaker to represent Vermont in Congress — on Monday introduced legislation to expand access to gender-affirming care for trans people across the country, by improving education and training to medical providers.
Balint introduced the Transgender Health Care Access Act on International Trans Day of Visibility, an unofficial holiday that was founded in 2009 by a Michigan social worker to celebrate trans life. The bill would direct the Health and Human Services Department to distribute grants to develop, implement and train providers in gender-affirming care, particularly in rural communities and indigenous communities served by the Indian Health Service. It would exclude funding for any form of conversion therapy.
The proposed legislation is a long shot as Republicans control both the House and the Senate. President Donald Trump attacked trans rights during his campaign, and has not let up upon returning to the White House. And HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long history of peddling baseless conspiracies about transgender people, and his plans to restructure the department include gutting entire divisions focused on public health and HIV prevention.
But Balint said she is “not standing down” and that her bill, which has 30 co-sponsors, is an opportunity to show trans Americans that Democrats are sticking up for them.
Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/house-democrat-introduces-bill-to-expand-access-to-trans-health-care_n_67eaf1e3e4b0ff137ab479da
Link to Rep. Balint PRESS RELEASE - Rep. Becca Balint Introduces the Transgender Health Care Access Act
Link to BILL (PDF) - https://balint.house.gov/uploadedfiles/transgender_health_care_access_act_final_text.pdf