Transportation of minor for prohibited procedures.
Summary
SB 479 creates a new criminal offense in Indiana law for adults who assist an unemancipated child in obtaining a gender transition procedure when the adult intends both to help obtain the procedure and to conceal it from the child’s parent or guardian. The bill defines “assists” broadly to include providing lodging, shelter, transportation, or money, and it makes the offense a Level 6 felony. It also states that a child’s consent is not a defense.
The bill includes several exceptions. It does not apply to a parent or guardian authorized to make health care decisions for the child, a person acting with that person’s written consent, a person helping a child obtain a medical diagnosis, or a common carrier transporting passengers for hire in the ordinary course of business. The bill is set to take effect July 1, 2025, and would amend Indiana Code section 35-46-1-23 by adding a new criminal law provision.
Impact
SB 479 would add a new felony offense to Indiana’s criminal code and expand potential criminal liability for adults who help minors access gender transition procedures under the specified circumstances. It would affect parents, guardians, other adults, and potentially organizations or individuals who provide transportation, lodging, shelter, or financial support, while expressly preserving certain medical-diagnosis assistance and ordinary commercial transportation. The bill would also incorporate the existing statutory definition of “gender transition procedure” from Indiana Code 25-1-22-5.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee discussion or votes in the provided materials, the available context suggests the measure was introduced as a policy response to restricting assistance for minors seeking gender transition procedures. The bill’s framing and criminal penalty indicate a strongly restrictive approach, but there is no documented committee debate or vote history here to show broader legislative support or opposition.
Contention
The main point of contention is likely the bill’s criminalization of assistance to minors seeking gender transition procedures, especially the broad definition of “assists” to include transportation, lodging, shelter, and money. Critics would likely focus on the impact on family members, advocates, and support networks, as well as the provision that a child’s consent is not a defense. Supporters would likely emphasize parental authority, concealment from parents or guardians, and the bill’s exceptions for authorized caregivers and common carriers.