{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-introduces-bill-to-protect-parents-and-children-from-ideological-child-welfare-policies/", "Senator Schmitt Introduces Bill to Protect Parents and Children from Ideological Child-Welfare Policies", "2026-09-30", "2026", "2026-09", "Republican", "Senate", "MO", "Eric Schmitt", "S001227", "www.schmitt.senate.gov", "schmitt", "https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/", "scraper", "Bill Would Prevent Federal Child-Welfare Funds From Being Used to Punish Parents for Raising Children According to Their Sex or Protecting Them From Irreversible Medical Harm\n\nU.S. SENATE \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), introduced the \u201cYaeli Martinez Child Protection Act\u201d to establish guardrails within the nation\u2019s federal child-welfare framework to ensure federal funds are not used to punish parents for raising their children according to their sex or for protecting children from irreversible medical harm. The bill would preserve state authority to respond to actual abuse while preventing federally funded child-welfare systems\n\nfrom treating a parent\u2019s affirmation of a child\u2019s sex as abuse or using it as a basis for adverse action against a family.\n\n\u201cThe Left\u2019s radical gender ideology is harming children with irreversible treatments and procedures. But in blue states, parents are being punished, and sometimes even separated from their children, for protecting their kids from this permanent damage. It is sickening that a state would impose ideological child-welfare policies to tear apart a family. Parents know what\u2019s best for their own families, and we need to defend their rights to protect their children,\u201d said Senator Eric Schmitt.\n\nThe legislation is named after Yaeli Martinez, a teenager who was removed from her mother by California\u2019s child-welfare system after her mother refused to treat Yaeli as a boy. Yaeli was provided testosterone while in state care and was ultimately isolated from her family. She died by suicide at age 19.\n\nThe \u201cYaeli Martinez Child Protection Act\u201d Would:\n\nClarify that affirming a child\u2019s sex is not abuse: Prevent states from using federal funds to construe raising, referring to, or caring for a child according to his or her sex as abuse or neglect.\n\nProtect fit parents from adverse state action: Prohibit federally funded child-welfare systems from removing children from fit parents, initiating dependency proceedings, restricting visitation or communication, issuing abuse or neglect findings, placing parents on child-abuse registries, terminating parental rights, or denying foster or adoptive placement simply because a parent affirms the child\u2019s sex.\n\nProtect children in state care: Restrict the use of federal funds for sex-rejecting interventions for children in state care and require sex-separated or single-occupancy housing and privacy protections.\n\nGive families a private right of action: Allow aggrieved parents, guardians, caregivers, and children to seek judicial remedies when covered entities violate the bill\u2019s protections.\n\nProtect interstate custody orders: Amend the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act to prevent states from disregarding another state\u2019s custody order when a child runs to or is taken to another state for the purpose of obtaining sex-rejecting interventions.\n\nThe legislation would apply its protections across CAPTA, Titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act, and the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program, while establishing funding restrictions and enforcement mechanisms for violations.\n\nStatement of Support:\n\n\u201cIt is not child abuse for a parent or caregiver to affirm a child\u2019s sex. In fact, doing so is acting in the best interest of the child by protecting them from falling into a false and dangerous ideology. But far too many families have been wrongly investigated and punished by the state for doing that very thing. Far too many foster parents have been barred from caring for children in need because they refuse to use false pronouns. We are grateful to Sen. Schmitt for introducing legislation that will protect families who rightly teach their children that each one is created uniquely, lovingly, by God, male and female.\u201d \u2013 Penny Nance, CEO and President of CWALAC\n\nSupporting Organizations of Senator Schmitt\u2019s Bill:\n\nEthics and Public Policy Center\n\nCatholic Vote\n\nConcerned Women for America\n\nAmerica First Works\n\nChild and Parental Rights Campaign\n\nFamily Policy Alliance\n\nHeritage Action\n\nAmerican Principles Project\n\nLifeline Children\u2019s Services\n\nDemocrats for an Informed Approach to Gender\n\nLGB Courage\n\nOur Duty \u2013 USA\n\nGenspect USA\n\nGenspect International\n\nWomenAreReal\n\nPartners of Ethical Care\n\nCalifornia Family Council\n\nCalifornia United for Sex-Based Evidence in Law and Policy\n\nDemocratic Women\u2019s Declaration\n\nAdvocates Protecting Children\n\nWomen\u2019s Liberation Front\n\nProtect Kids Colorado.\n\nGood Citizen Project\n\nIndiana Family Institute\n\nAmerica First Policy Institute\n\nKansas Family Voice\n\nColorado Parent Advocacy Network\n\nParents United Colorado\n\nDo No Harm\n\nParents Defending Ed Action\n\nChild Welfare & Justice Transformation\n\nVirginia Family Foundation\n\n###", 1, "2026-10-01T11:23:28Z", "2026-10-01T11:25:15Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/media/press-releases/senator-schmitt-introduces-bill-to-protect-parents-and-children-from-ideological-child-welfare-policies/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2163990177214146, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}