SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Members of the Utah House of Representatives made some changes today while voting in favor of S.B. 16, which would ban certain transgender hormonal treatments and gender reassignment surgery for minors.

While the House passed the measure 58-14, the bill must now return to the Senate for approval of the changes made to it. If the Senate agrees to the changes made by the house and passes the bill, it would go to Gov. Spencer Cox’s desk for a signature.

The vote broke down party lines with only West Valley City Republican Rep. Quinn Kotter joining Democrats in voting against it. Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan) and Rep. Mike Hokler (R-Midway) were absent or did not vote.

The biggest change to the bill is that it could go into effect the moment Cox signs it, if he chooses to do so. This would happen if the bill is approved by a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, which the bill has already proven it can do. It passed the Senate on Jan. 20 with a 21-7 vote in favor.

The bill that originally came out of the Senate would apply only to those who have not been diagnosed with gender dysphoria prior to May 3, 2023. The House has changed that stipulation to also go into effect the moment the bill is signed.

The new version of the bill would also allow any individual, not just a patient, to bring a medical malpractice suit against healthcare providers who perform such services. It would also allow people who have consented to treatment in the past to revoke that consent and sue healthcare providers.

Finally, the bill removes the “sunset” provision on the trans treatment ban to one without expiration, making the ban permanent with no future review to change it.