Contact Congress about H.R. 1399: Protect Children’s Innocence Act
Doctors could face federal criminal charges for giving listed gender-affirming care to minors in covered situations. Federal money could not pay for that care or for health plans that cover it. Schools, insurers, and noncitizen providers would also face new limits.
Modern Action explains legislation in plain English, helps you choose whether to support, oppose, or ask for changes, and drafts a message tied to the bill, your stance, and the elected officials who can act on it.
Protect Children’s Innocence Act is a House bill in Congress.
Who this affects: This bill mainly affects minors seeking gender-affirming care, the providers who treat them, and health plans that cover the care. It also affects adults if their insurance plan includes gender-affirming care and loses federal subsidies or credits. Colleges, medical training programs, accrediting bodies, federal and certain Tribal health facilities, and noncitizen providers would also face new rules.
Why this matters: This bill would replace a state-by-state fight over gender-affirming care for minors with a federal ban in many covered situations. It could change what providers offer, what insurance plans cover, and what colleges teach. It could also affect adult coverage because the funding limits apply to plans that cover gender-affirming care for any enrollee, not only minors. Courts, agencies, and future enforcement choices would shape how far these effects reach.
Key provisions in H.R. 1399
- Providers could face a new federal felony for giving listed gender-affirming care to minors. The crime applies only when the bill’s federal or interstate conditions are met.
- The minor who received the care could not be arrested or charged under this new crime. That person could sue the provider for compensatory damages, which cover losses, and punitive damages, which punish misconduct.
- The bill defines gender-affirming care broadly. It includes listed surgeries, some facial plastic surgeries, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones when used to change the body to match a sex different from the bill’s definition of biological sex.
- The bill allows some listed care for specific medical reasons. These include certain intersex conditions, infections or injuries from earlier transition care, serious physical disorders, and emergencies where delay would create immediate danger.
- Federal money could not pay for gender-affirming care or for health coverage that includes it. This includes Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
How Modern Action helps you take action on H.R. 1399
You do not have to start with a blank letter. Modern Action turns the bill, your position, and the relevant congressional context into a message you can edit and send. The goal is to make contacting Congress clear, specific, and useful without forcing you to parse bill text or figure out the right office on your own.
Questions people ask about H.R. 1399
- What is H.R. 1399?
- Doctors could face federal criminal charges for giving listed gender-affirming care to minors in covered situations. Federal money could not pay for that care or for health plans that cover it. Schools, insurers, and noncitizen providers would also face new limits.
- How do I support or oppose H.R. 1399?
- Choose support, oppose, or ask for changes on Modern Action. The action flow drafts the message for you and keeps the wording tied to this bill.
- Who should I contact about H.R. 1399?
- Modern Action uses your location to route the action to the congressional offices relevant to the bill and your representation.
- Can Modern Action explain H.R. 1399 before I act?
- Yes. Modern Action gives you a plain-English summary, current status, and action context before you send anything.
