Mary Bentley, House sponsor of the bill, said it “provides much needed safeguards before life-altering medical treatment can begin.” Another GOP lawmaker voted present, which has the same effect as voting against the bill.

The House approved the bill on a 76-17 vote, largely along party lines, with one Republican lawmaker voting against the bill. “It is exceedingly likely that the state will yet again lose a case involving our ongoing assault on this tiny, vulnerable group of kids,” Democratic Rep. Opponents of the measure called the malpractice provision unconstitutional, saying it discriminates against transgender youth the same way Arkansas' blocked ban did. By expanding the liability that doctors face for providing such care, the bill could make it nearly impossible for some providers to get malpractice insurance. Legal experts said that Arkansas' malpractice proposal, which other states are considering as part of broader bans on transgender care for children, would be a major change for how most malpractice claims are considered.

Health experts have said minors with gender dysphoria who do not receive appropriate care face dramatically increased risk of suicide and serious depression. No gender-affirming surgery is performed on minors in the state. The measure advanced as a federal judge is considering whether to strike down a state law he's temporarily blocked that would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming hormone therapy or puberty blockers to anyone under 18 - or referring them to other doctors who can provide that care. “It says to trans kids that just because you’re different than us, you don’t deserve to be protected or cared for.” Tippi McCullough, the House minority leader, said. “Passing this bill says to one of our most vulnerable communities in the state that we don’t care about you,” Democratic Rep. At least 175 bills targeting trans people have been introduced in statehouses so far this year, the most in a single year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The proposal is the latest in a growing number of bills targeting transgender people, who also face increasingly hostile rhetoric at statehouses.

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