Equality Caucus Slams House GOP’s Bill to Forcibly Out Trans Students

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02), Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, released the following statement after the Committee on Education and the Workforce voted to report H.R. 736, the so-called “PROTECT Kids Act,” favorably out of committee:

“Just a week after a deadly school shooting, Republicans on the Education and the Workforce Committee decided that, instead of working to protect kids, their time would be best spent attacking the ones they don’t like—trans kids. It’s outrageous,” said Rep. Mark Pocan, Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus. “While many young trans people have loving and accepting families, some do not. By forcing teachers and administrators who want to take certain steps to affirm trans students to out those students instead, MAGA Republicans are endangering the safety and wellbeing of students whose families may not accept them, all to score some cheap political points.”


BACKGROUND ON H.R. 736
H.R. 736, the so-called “PROTECT Kids Act,” would require elementary and middle schools that receive federal funds to forcibly out transgender students if the school wants to take certain steps to affirm the child’s identity, such as changing the child’s gender markers, pronouns, or preferred name on any school form or allowing the child to use accommodations, such as bathrooms, consistent with their gender identity.

H.R. 736 already passed the House this Congress as part of Republicans’ so-called “Parents Bill of Rights Act” (H.R. 5). H.R. 5 passed in 2023 with only Republican support and with bipartisan opposition; every voting Democrat and five Republicans voted against it.