Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) This Thursday, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced proposed rules aimed at curtailing trans youth access to medically necessary care. One rule conditions Medicare and Medicaid funding for hospitals on those hospitals refusing to provide gender-affirming care to trans and nonbinary youth under 18. Another proposed rule would ban Medicaid and CHIP from covering gender-affirming care for youth under 18 and 19, respectively. It is important to note that these rules are not a gender affirming care ban and are not in effect. PFLAG National strongly opposes these preliminary rules and will be urging the Administration to remove them. The process allows for a two month window to provide comment. PFLAG National will provide our supporters with resources and submission guidance to help them share powerful stories.. We are working with our partners to analyze these rules and will have more information and steps to take action in the New Year. Anti-trans Federal Legislation This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two anti-trans bills – H.R. 3492 and H.R. 498 – mostly on party line votes. HR 3492 would criminalize gender-affirming care for transgender young people at the federal level—making it a felony punishable for both parents and providers by up to 10 years in prison. The language is so broad that it could interfere not only with doctors’ ability to provide best-practice medical care, but also with parents’ ability to support their own children. HR 498 would eliminate Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender young people, placing essential healthcare even further out of reach for families who need it most. PFLAG CEO Brian Bond made statements condemning the passage of both bills. These bills are now eligible to be taken up by the U.S. Senate. TAKE ACTION TODAY! Urge your Senator to oppose these discriminatory bills and protect the health and well-being of ALL youth. Fighting for Our Pride Fighting for Our Pride in the 2026 State Legislative Session With state legislative sessions kicking off at the start of the New Year, now is the time for PFLAGers to make their voices heard. Building on the momentum of our Fighting For Our Pride campaign, this workshop is designed to empower you to effectively advocate for LGBTQ+ issues at the local, state, and federal levels. Join us on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 8:30 pm EST on Zoom. You can register HERE. Floridians The legislative session is right around the corner. Equality Florida, along with PFLAGers across Florida, managed to stop every anti-LGBTQ+ bill introduced last session, thanks to the people's power across the state. Equality Florida is hosting two weeks of Pride at the Capitol this session. The first weekend focuses on Parenting with Pride, and the second week includes a march. You can learn more about it on Equality Florida’s website. You can register HERE. The first week is January 20-21, the second is January 26-27, and the march will occur on January 28, 2026. | 
