SB 63 Kansas Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Enacting the help not harm act, restricting use of state funds to promote gender transitioning, prohibiting healthcare providers from providing gender transition care to children whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex, authorizing a civil cause of action against healthcare providers for providing such treatments, requiring professional discipline against a healthcare provider who performs such treatment, prohibiting professional liability insurance from covering damages for healthcare providers that provide gender transition treatment to children and adding violation of the act to the definition of unprofessional conduct for physicians.

SB 63, the "Help Not Harm Act," prohibits healthcare providers in Kansas from providing gender transition treatments - including medications, surgeries, or referrals - to children under 18 whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. It restricts state funding for such treatments, bans professional liability insurance from covering related damages, and allows civil lawsuits against violating providers. The bill also requires professional disciplinary action for violations and adds such violations to the definition of unprofessional conduct for physicians. Additionally, it prohibits state facilities and employees from promoting or providing gender transition care for children.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Jan 2025
Senate Passage
Jan 2025
House Passage
Jan 2025
Vetoed
Feb 2025
Introduced Jan 22, 2025 Vetoed Feb 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Amended by Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare Enrolled · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was reformatted from a multi-line layout to a standard single-column format and had a new definition added to clarify that 'sex' is determined by biological characteristics at birth, excluding psychological experiences. Additionally, a new subsection was added to Section 3 to explicitly list specific surgical procedures and medications prohibited for both female and male children, expanding the scope of the ban beyond just female children.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly prohibit specific treatments for male children in addition to female children, and the definition of 'sex' was broadened to include external genitalia present at birth.
DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'Sex' to explicitly include external genitalia present at birth and exclude psychological experiences.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection (b) to Section 3 to prohibit specific surgeries and medications for male children whose gender identity is inconsistent with their sex.

TECHNICAL

Changed the layout from a multi-line format with line numbers to a standard single-column format.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
34
Key actions
14
Committee
12
Amendments
1
Feb 18, 2025
Vetoed
Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 85, Nay 34, Absent 6
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Vetoed
Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 31, Nay 9
upper
Feb 13, 2025
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor; Returned to Senate on Tuesday, February 11, 2025
upper
Jan 31, 2025
Lower · Passed
Final Action - Passed; Yea 83, Nay 35, Absent 7
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Susan Ruiz
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Melissa Oropeza
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Nikki McDonald
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Jo Ella Hoye
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Heather Meyer
lower
Jan 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Ford Carr
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Committee
Referred to Committee of the Whole
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Introduced
Received and Introduced
lower
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 32, Nay 8
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Dinah Sykes
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Cindy Holscher
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. David Haley
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Introduced
Motion to advance to EFA, subject to amendment, debate and roll call.
upper
Jan 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare
upper
Jan 23, 2025
Committee
Referred to Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare
upper
Jan 22, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.