Bill proposed in Texas could charge transgender people with ‘gender identity fraud’

AbillproposedintheTexaslegislaturecouldchargetransgenderTexanswithastatefelonyiftheycommitwhatproponentscall“genderidentityfraud.” RepublicanstateRep.TomOliverson,whorepresentsapartofHoustoninDistrict130,introducedHouseBill3817thatwouldamendtheTexasPenalCodetoaddanewformoffraudrelatedtogenderidentity. Accordingtothebill,“genderidentityfraud”wouldbecommutedifaperson“knowinglymakesafalseormisleadingverbalorwrittenstatementtoagovernmentalentityortheperson’semployerbyidentifyingtheperson’sbiologicalsexastheoppositeofthebiologicalsexassignedtothepersonatbirth.” Thepenaltyifsomeoneweretocommit“genderidentityfraud”wouldbeastatefelony,whichcouldlandapersoninprisonforuptotwoyearsanda$10,000fine.Thebillisnotexpectedtopass,accordingtotheTexasLegislaturetracker,asithasnoco-sponsorsandhasnotmovedtoanycommittees. OliversondidnotimmediatelyrespondtoUSATODAY’srequestforcommentonMond