Dallas, Texas –
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will withdraw a request for a Seattle hospital to turn over records about gender-affirming treatment potentially administered to Texas children as part of a court settlement announced Monday.
Seattle Children’s Hospital filed the lawsuit against Paxton’s office in December in response to the Republican appearing to go beyond state lines to investigate health care for transgender people. Paxton, a staunch conservative who has helped advance GOP efforts aimed at trans rights, sent similar letters to Texas hospitals last year.
The Seattle hospital said in a statement that it had “successfully fought” against “excessive demands for confidential patient information.” An Austin judge dismissed the lawsuit on Friday, saying the parties had resolved their dispute.
Texas is among states that have enacted laws restricting or prohibiting gender-affirming health care for transgender minors.
The hospital’s lawsuit included a copy of the letter from Paxton’s office, which, among other requests, asked the hospital to produce records identifying medications administered to children living in Texas; the number of Texas children who received treatment; and documents identifying the “standard protocol or guidance” used for treatment.
As part of the settlement, according to court records, the parties agreed that Seattle Children’s Hospital would withdraw its registration to transact business in Texas. But a hospital spokesperson said in a statement that they do not operate health care facilities or provide gender-affirming care in Texas.
In court records, the hospital had previously stated that it had a “limited number” of people working remotely and living in Texas, but that none were participating in gender-affirming care. It also said it did not advertise its services in Texas.
“When we simply 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 will “vigorously protect” children from the gender-affirming treatment he receives. called “harmful”.
Texas law prevents transgender minors from accessing hormone therapies, puberty blockers and transition surgeries, although medical experts say such surgical procedures are rarely performed on children.
In Washington, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee signed a law that aims to protect minors seeking gender-affirming care there, part of a wave of legislation in Democratic-led states aimed at providing shelter to those seeking gender-affirming treatment.