DALLAS – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton refuses a request to a Seattle hospital to turn over records related to gender-affirming treatment As part of the lawsuit announced Monday, it could be given to children from Texas.
Seattle Children’s Hospital filed a lawsuit against Paxton’s office in December in response to Republicans reaching across state lines to investigate transgender health. Paxton, a staunch conservative who helped lead GOP efforts targeting trans rights Similar letters to Texas hospitals last year.
The Seattle hospital said in a statement that it had “successfully fought” against “excessive requests to access confidential patient information.” A judge in Austin dismissed the lawsuit Friday, saying the parties had settled the dispute.
Texas is among the states has passed restrictive or prohibiting laws gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors.
The hospital’s lawsuit included a copy of a letter from Paxton’s office. A copy of this letter asked the hospital to produce records identifying medications administered to children living in Texas; number of Texas children receiving treatment; and documents that define the “standard protocol or guideline” used for treatment.
As part of the settlement, the parties agreed to withdraw Seattle Children’s Hospital’s registration to conduct business in Texas, according to court documents. But a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement that they do not operate health care facilities or provide gender-affirming care in Texas.
In court filings, the hospital previously said it had a “limited number” of people who worked remotely and lived in Texas, but none were involved in gender-affirming care. He also said he does not advertise his services in Texas.
“When we just started asking questions, they decided to leave the state of Texas and lose the opportunity to do business here,” Paxton said in a news release Monday. He said Texas would “vigorously protect” children from sex-affirming treatment, which he called “harmful.”
Texas law prevents transgender minors from accessing hormone therapy, puberty blockers and transition surgeries, even though medical experts say such surgical procedures are rarely performed on children.
in washington, Democratic Governor Jay Inslee signed law It aims to protect minors seeking gender-affirming care there A wave of legislation in Democratic-led states intends to provide shelter to those seeking gender-affirming treatment.