AUSTIN, Texas — A new Texas bill could see people who identify as transgender charged with “gender identity fraud” for identifying with a gender that differs from their sex assigned at birth.
House Bill 3817 was filed last week by state Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, in the Texas House of Representatives. The bill would make it a felony, with a jail penalty, for someone who “knowingly makes a false or misleading verbal or written statement” to government entities or a private employer as it relates to their assigned sex at birth.
State jail felonies in Texas are punishable by up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
If passed through both the state House and Senate and then signed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the bill would go into effect Sept. 1, 2025.
According to Chron, a sister website of the Houston Chronicle, the bill is unlikely to pass as it is a low priority for the chamber. The bill has no co-sponsers and has not been scheduled for a committee hearing.