The Chloe Cole Act of 2026 creates a federal civil right for minors and their parents to sue health care professionals, hospitals, and clinics for damages if they provide certain medical interventions to children—specifically puberty blockers, sex hormones, or surgeries intended to alter physical appearance or reproductive function. The bill applies retroactively to interventions that occurred before its enactment and establishes strict liability for violations, meaning defendants are automatically liable unless they can prove by clear and convincing evidence that the intervention falls under narrow medical exceptions, such as treating disorders of sexual development or injuries. Affected parties can recover compensatory damages (including costs to reverse effects), non-economic damages for emotional distress, and punitive damages if malicious conduct is proven. The statute of limitations allows lawsuits to be filed within 25 years after the individual turns 18 or within 4 years of incurring costs for "detransition treatment," whichever is later.
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