Chloe Cole Act

Summary

Prohibits health care professionals, hospitals, and clinics from providing puberty blockers, cross‑sex hormones, or sex‑altering surgeries to anyone under 18 under circumstances that bring the conduct under federal jurisdiction (for example, interstate travel, telemedicine, or use of interstate commerce). The bill defines those interventions as “chemical or surgical mutilation,” narrows narrow medical exceptions, requires providers to prove exceptions by clear and convincing evidence, creates a federal private right of action (retroactive) allowing victims or their parents/guardians to sue for compensatory, non‑economic, and punitive damages, and sets a long statute of limitations (until age 43 or four years after detransition costs, whichever is later).

• Defines “chemical or surgical mutilation” to include puberty blockers, cross‑sex hormones, and sex‑altering surgeries for anyone under 18.
• Bans health care professionals, hospitals, and clinics from participating in those interventions for minors when conduct falls under federal jurisdiction (broad interstate commerce and federal hooks).
• Creates a federal private right of action (retroactive) allowing victims or their parents/guardians to sue for compensatory, non‑economic, and punitive damages.
• Requires providers to prove any listed medical exceptions by clear and convincing evidence and imposes strict liability for post‑enactment participation proven by that standard.
• Permits counseling and referrals so long as those activities do not themselves constitute the prohibited interventions.
• Sets a long filing period: claims may be brought until age 43 (25 years after turning 18) or within 4 years after detransition costs are incurred, whichever is later.
• Limits courts’ deference to prevailing standards of care for past procedures if those standards were in serious scientific dispute and known to be so.
• Applies retroactively to acts before, on, or after enactment, which can expose past providers to new lawsuits.