Senator Schmitt Introduces Bill to Block Child-Welfare Abuse Claims Over Transgender Refusal

Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) unveiled the Yaeli Martinez Child Protection Act, targeting state child-welfare systems that classify a parent's refusal to affirm a child's transgender identity as child abuse. The bill is named for Yaeli Martinez, who died three years after Los Angeles County Child and Family Services removed her from her mother’s care because the mother declined to affirm a male identity. Proponents say the law would prevent federal child-welfare funding from being conditioned on compliance with such policies and would create a private right of action for parents.

It references Oregon’s Department of Human Services finding that a Christian mother caused "mental injury" by not affirming her daughter’s gender. Heritage Foundation senior policy analyst Laura Hanford and Heritage Action’s Chip Wyatt argue the measure shields families from what they describe as ideologically driven interventions while preserving legitimate abuse investigations. The bill has yet to be voted on.