Georgia Senate Transforms Nurse Bill into Transgender Youth Services Ban

The amended legislation now heads back to the House after passing the Senate along party lines.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Georgia Senate has taken a bill originally focused on nursing regulations and transformed it into a measure that would prohibit puberty blockers and other medical interventions for transgender youth. The heavily amended House Bill 54 passed the Senate 30-18 along party lines, with Republicans supporting the change and Democrats opposing it. The bill now returns to the House, where the original version dealing with nurses had bipartisan support.

Why it matters

This move by Republican state senators highlights the ongoing political debates around transgender rights, particularly the treatment of transgender youth. It also demonstrates how legislation can be repurposed for different aims, even if the original bill had broad support.

The details

The original House Bill 54 that passed the House unanimously last year was focused on nurses and home health care. However, when the bill reached the Senate this year, Republican lawmakers seized the opportunity to amend it into a ban on certain medical treatments for transgender youth experiencing gender dysphoria. The amended bill prohibits puberty blockers and other interventions for transgender youth.

  • The original version of House Bill 54 passed the Georgia House unanimously in 2025.
  • The amended version of the bill passed the Georgia Senate on February 11, 2026.

The players

Burt Jones

The Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia and a candidate for governor, who said the Senate acted 'to protect our youth' and that he 'will always fight for Georgia values and the safety of our kids.'

Josh McLaurin

A Democratic state senator running for lieutenant governor, who dismissed the amendment as an election-year ploy and said 'voters are tired of it.'

Jan Jones

The Republican speaker pro tempore of the Georgia House, who had backed the original version of the bill focused on nurses.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This is a real easy playbook for you all to run, but I want you to know, maybe it worked in 2024, I think voters are tired of it.”

— Josh McLaurin, State Senator (valdostadailytimes.com)

“We must stand with the majority to protect our youth. I will always fight for Georgia values and the safety of our kids.”

— Burt Jones, Lieutenant Governor (valdostadailytimes.com)

What’s next

The amended version of House Bill 54 will now return to the Georgia House, where the original nursing-focused legislation had bipartisan support. It remains to be seen whether the House will accept the Senate's changes or seek to revert the bill to its original purpose.

The takeaway

This episode highlights the ongoing political battles over transgender rights, particularly the treatment of transgender youth, and how legislation can be repurposed for different aims, even if the original bill had broad support. It also raises questions about the legislative process and whether voters are growing tired of such partisan maneuvers.