GUARD Act

This bill (S 2394, GUARD Act) amends federal child welfare funding rules to require states to avoid taking adverse actions against parents who oppose medical treatments, social changes (like name/pronoun use), or gender-affirming care for minors. It directly affects parents, guardians, or legal representatives who object to such interventions for minors whose gender identity they believe conflicts with their biological sex (determined at birth). The key mechanism blocks federal funding for any state that discriminates against these parents, and allows affected parents to sue to stop funding and recover money paid to violating states. The bill focuses on altering state eligibility for federal child welfare funds based on parental objections to gender-related care for minors.