Georgia’s House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 185 on Wednesday, a measure that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds for sex reassignment surgeries and related procedures for inmates in state prisons.
The final vote was 100-2, despite a walkout protest led by Democratic lawmakers during the debate.
The legislation now heads to Governor Brian Kemp’s desk for final approval. Kemp, a Republican, has not yet publicly commented on whether he will sign the bill.
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Senate Bill 185 bars state funding for procedures such as sex reassignment surgeries, hormone therapies, and cosmetic treatments intended to alter sexual characteristics for inmates in Georgia’s correctional facilities.
The bill allows exceptions for certain medical conditions unrelated to gender dysphoria, such as congenital abnormalities, partial androgen insensitivity syndrome, or continuation of hormone treatments that had been prescribed for transitional purposes prior to incarceration.
During Wednesday’s debate, most House Democrats exited the chamber in protest, refusing to participate in the vote.
However, not all members of the Democratic caucus took part in the walkout. Three Democratic representatives remained and voted in favor of the bill, while two others stayed and voted against it.
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Rep. Lynn Heffner, a Democrat who voted in support of the bill, addressed the chamber during deliberations.
“I will be supporting this bill because I support an individual’s choice but I support the people’s decision on whether or not they pay for those elective procedures."
Republican lawmakers applauded the Democrats who remained to cast their votes.
The bill’s House sponsor, Republican Rep. Scott Hilton, said the measure is aligned with the views of his constituents.
“We’re providing a higher standard of care than law-abiding citizens receive."
Democratic Rep. Tanya Miller, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, criticized the legislation and the majority party’s focus.
“Our constituents sent us here to address serious pressing issues affecting their daily lives. Yet, instead of addressing real problems, my colleagues in the majority party continue their extreme agenda.”
Rep. Houston Gaines, vice chairman of the House Majority Caucus, responded to the walkout with sharp criticism.
“By storming out of the legislative session, these lawmakers abandoned their duty to represent their constituents and engage in the democratic process, all to grandstand over an issue that most Georgians find absurd."
He called the protest a “disgraceful display of misplaced priorities.”
Georgia joins several Republican-led states, including Idaho, Kentucky, Texas, and Utah, that have enacted similar laws restricting the use of public funds for gender-related procedures in prison systems.
In addition to Senate Bill 185, Georgia lawmakers are also advancing legislation that would bar transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. That bill has already passed the legislature and currently awaits action by Governor Kemp.
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