Why It Matters

The House Judiciary Committee is advancing five bills that span contentious terrain such as a nationwide ban on gender-affirming care for minors, federal protections for congressional records, condemnation of prosecution policies toward foreign nationals, expanded background check authority, and national fossil designations. Chair Jim Jordan and ranking member Jamie Raskin will preside over the markup scheduled for Wednesday, July 1.

The Legislation

The most consequential item is the Chloe Cole Act, which would ban puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries for people under 19 nationwide. The bill creates a federal civil right of action allowing minors and parents to sue health care professionals, hospitals, and clinics for damages. Defendants would be automatically liable unless they prove by clear and convincing evidence that the intervention falls under narrow medical exceptions. Plaintiffs could seek compensatory damages, non-economic damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages for malicious conduct. Lawsuits may be filed within 25 years after the individual turns 18, or within 4 years of incurring costs for "detransition treatment," whichever is later. The bill applies retroactively to interventions that occurred before enactment.

The Congressional Records Protection Act takes aim at law enforcement access to congressional communications and documents. It would prohibit federal and state government agencies from obtaining search warrants, subpoenas, court orders, or other legal processes to access records belonging to members of Congress or congressional employees, except when a member is themselves a criminal suspect or when records from third parties are sought in a criminal investigation targeting a congressional member. Under the bill, agencies must notify the affected member within 10 days when records are obtained and cannot review materials for 30 days after notification.

A third bill would expand the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to allow businesses and organizations serving vulnerable populations to conduct background checks on contractors and individuals seeking licenses or certifications to provide care. A Senate companion bill has already passed.

The committee will also consider a resolution condemning prosecution policies on foreign nationals, as well as a bill designating the American mastodon as the national fossil mammal and the Tyrannosaurus rex as the national fossil dinosaur.

Republican Strategy and Support

Multiple committee Republicans sponsored or cosponsored the major bills. The Chloe Cole Act has 73 cosponsors, all Republican. Rep. Bob Onder Jr., who reintroduced the bill on February 23, is a committee member. The bill was transmitted to Congress by the Department of Justice and commissioned by President Trump's Executive Order 14187. The Family Research Council has lobbied on the bill.

The Congressional Records Protection Act counts committee members including Rep. Lance Gooden, Rep. Wesley Hunt, Rep. Harriet M. Hageman, and Rep. Russell Fry as cosponsors. Chair Jordan is also a cosponsor.

Bipartisan Child Safety Measure

The background check expansion bill offers a bipartisan opening. Rep. Russell Fry sponsored the measure, and it has attracted a Democratic cosponsor on the committee, Rep. Jared Moskowitz, along with Republican cosponsors Rep. Laurel M. Lee, Rep. Derek Schmidt, and Rep. Troy E. Nehls. A Senate companion bill, the CHILD Act of 2025, has already passed that chamber. Franklin Square Group LLC has lobbied on behalf of HopSkipDrive Inc. regarding the bill.

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