Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB553: AN ACT relating to gender transition services.
Status: In committee, February 20, 2026
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 311 to define terms; prohibit health care providers from accepting payment or reimbursement for gender transition services from a state or local government or Medicare; prohibit use of state or local government funds for the provision or subsidy of gender transition services; require licensing or certifying agencies to revoke a health care provider's license for a violation; direct that intentional violation by a public servant shall be a violation of KRS 522.030; amend KRS 15.241 to authorize the Attorney General to seek injunctive relief and penalties for a violation of gender transition services prohibitions; amend KRS 156.496 to prohibit family resource or youth services centers from providing or making referrals for gender transition services; amend KRS 39A.180 to prohibit suspension of gender transition services laws during an emergency; create new sections of Subtitle 17A of KRS Chapter 304, and KRS 205.6481 to 205.6495, and amend KRS 205.5365, 18A.225, 164.2871, and 304.17C-125, to prohibit publicly funded health plans, Medicaid, the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program (KCHIP), publicly funded limited health service benefit plans, the state employee health plan, and state postsecondary education institution self-insured health plans from providing payment or coverage for gender transition services; amend KRS 605.110 to direct that gender transition services are not authorized for a child committed to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice; state findings of the General Assembly relating to the purpose of the Act; apply certain provisions to health plans issued or renewed on or after the effective date of Act.
What the bill says
An act relating to gender transition services.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT relating to gender transition services. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 311 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) As used in this section: (a) "Gender transition services": 1. Means surgical, medical, mental health, or pharmaceutical services that are performed for the purpose of altering the appearance of an individual's sex or validating or affirming an individual's perception of the individual's sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the individual's sex; 2. Includes but is not limited to the following surgical, medical, mental health, and pharmaceutical services, if performed for the purposes stated in subparagraph 1. of this paragraph: a. Prescribing or administering any drug, including testosterone, estrogen, or progesterone; b. Performing any sterilizing surgery, including castration, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, penectomy, and vasectomy; c. Performing any surgery that artificially constructs tissue having the appearance of genitalia differing from the individual's sex, including metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, and vaginoplasty; d. Removing any healthy or non diseased body part or tissue; and e. Providing any counseling or therapy; and 3. Does not include surgical, medical, mental health, or pharmaceutical services provided to an individual: a. Born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development, XXXX 2/2/2026 2:28 PM Jacketed UNOFFICIAL COPY 26 RS BR 1920 including …
Sponsors
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010) · primary sponsor
- Felicia Rabourn (R, HD-047)
- Steven Doan (R, HD-069)
- Ryan Dotson (R, HD-073)
- Candy Massaroni (R, HD-050)
- T.J. Roberts (R, HD-066)
- Bill Wesley (R, HD-091)
Latest actions
- : reassigned to State Government (H)
- : to Banking & Insurance (H)
- : to Committee on Committees (H)
- : introduced in House
Subjects: State Agencies, Funds, Education, Higher, Education, Elementary And Secondary, Medicaid, Insurance, Health, Children And Minors, Parental Rights
Common questions
- What is HB553?
- HB553 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to gender transition services.
- What does HB553 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to gender transition services.
- What is the status of HB553?
- In committee as of February 20, 2026. Latest action: reassigned to State Government (H) (February 20, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB553?
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010), with 6 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB553?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb553.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.