Bullard files bill prohibiting genital mutilation of youth under 26

OKLAHOMA CITY - Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, recently filed Senate Bill 129, also known as the Millstone Act, to prohibit Oklahoma doctors from providing gender transition procedures or referral services relating to such procedures to anyone under the age of 26. The bill would further authorize the state’s attorney general to enforce the act and those found guilty of violating it would be guilty of a felony and subject to license revocation.

“Four short years ago when I received the honor to serve in the Oklahoma State Senate, I could not have imagined that it would be necessary to file a bill to protect children in our state from being legally sexually mutilated, yet we find ourselves in that very situation. Surgical and chemical genital mutilation has been occurring in our great state, and it must be stopped,” Bullard said. “We have a sacred duty to protect our children from those who wish to do them harm. Senate Bill 129 is designed to protect our children from those who want to benefit financially at their expense. Child abuse is a felony in our state and mutilating a young person’s genitalia should be viewed no differently. The Millstone Act will hold those who perform child mutilation accountable by making such activity a felony. Those guilty of such a heinous crime will be both legally and financially liable.”

The bill would further prohibit public funds from being directly or indirectly used, granted, paid, or distributed to any entity, organization, or individual that provides gender transition procedures to those younger than 26.

Exemptions would be provided for procedures relating to the treatment of a medically verifiable disorder of sex development, treatment of any infection or disorder that has been caused by or exacerbated by the performance of gender transition procedures, or to prevent imminent danger of death or impairment of major bodily function.

The Millstone Act was named in reference to Matthew 18:6, “but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.”

Bullard noted that he chose the age of 26 to account for scientific findings that the brain does not fully develop and mature until the mid- to late 20s with the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for critical skills like planning and controlling urges, developing last.

SB 129 will be available for consideration when the session convenes on Feb. 6.

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For more information, contact:  
Sen. Bullard: (405) 521-5586 or David.Bullard@oksenate.gov