Bill Summary
HB26-1087 would prohibit a person, health-care provider, or mental health professional from knowingly performing certain surgeries on a minor, or prescribing, administering, or providing hormones or puberty blockers to a minor, when the purpose is to alter the minor’s biological sex characteristics.
The bill also prohibits mental health therapy, professional counseling, or referrals that “promote or affirm” a minor’s belief that the minor was born in the wrong body or needs medical intervention to address distress related to the minor’s biological sex.
- Prohibits specified surgery, hormones, and puberty blockers for minors when used to alter biological sex characteristics.
- Prohibits certain mental health therapy, counseling, or referrals that “promote or affirm” the belief a minor was born in the wrong body or needs medical intervention for sex-related distress.
- Bars the state from investigating or penalizing a parent, or terminating parental rights, for refusing to consent to the prohibited interventions.
- Requires that public schools, health-care providers, and governmental entities not withhold information from parents about a minor’s express desire to transition the minor’s biological sex.
- Prohibits state or federal funding, Medicaid reimbursement, and health insurance coverage from being used to pay for prohibited interventions.
- Creates a civil cause of action for a person subjected as a minor (up to 20 years after turning 18), requires permanent license revocation for violators, and makes knowing violations a class 5 felony with mandatory maximum sentencing and fines.
Position: Support
Kids are not small adults. Government has a duty to protect minors from irreversible, life-altering medical decisions they are not equipped to make.
HB26-1087 draws a bright line: no sex-altering medical interventions for minors, and no taxpayer subsidy for them either. That is a guardrail, not a gimmick.
Why I Am Taking This Position
Principle matters here: protect children, respect parents, and keep government in its lane.
First, the bill’s legislative declaration states plainly that children lack the maturity to make permanent, life-altering medical and psychological decisions. Colorado already limits minors in other serious areas of life. A basic “do no permanent harm” standard for kids is not extreme. It is responsible.
Second, the core prohibition is clear: surgery, hormones, and puberty blockers for minors are prohibited when the purpose is altering biological sex characteristics. That is the main event, and it is where the law should be strongest.
Third, the parental rights provisions matter. The bill prohibits the state from investigating or penalizing a parent, or terminating parental rights, simply because the parent refuses to consent to the prohibited interventions. That is limited government applied to real life. Parents should not be coerced by agencies or systems that think they know better.
Fourth, the bill addresses a major trust problem. It says a public school, health-care provider, or governmental entity shall not withhold information from a parent about a minor’s express desire to transition the minor’s biological sex. Schools should teach. Parents should parent. If something this serious is going on, moms and dads should not be the last to know. Sunshine is still a good disinfectant.
Fifth, HB26-1087 prohibits state or federal funding, Medicaid reimbursement, and health insurance coverage from paying for prohibited interventions. Taxpayer dollars are for core services, not for interventions the bill itself treats as prohibited for minors.
One caution: the mental health language is broad. The bill prohibits therapy, counseling, or referrals that “promote or affirm” certain beliefs, but does not define “promote” or “affirm.” Protecting kids from irreversible medicalization is one thing. Creating a speech trap for legitimate counseling is another. The legislature should tighten definitions so professionals can treat distress lawfully without being pushed toward or away from any predetermined outcome.
Another caution is proportionality and due process. The bill requires permanent license revocation and makes violations a class 5 felony with mandatory maximum sentencing and maximum fines. If the state is going to swing a hammer, it needs to be aimed precisely at the conduct the bill intends to stop.
Call to Action – What You Should Do!
Contact your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to support HB26-1087’s core protections for minors and parental rights.
Also ask for two improvements before final passage:
- Clear definitions for what it means to “promote” or “affirm,” so lawful counseling is not swept in.
- Enforcement language that is tight and targeted, so penalties hit intentional violations, not good-faith care.
