A bill that would make it a felony to perform sex change procedures on anyone under 18 has passed the Wyoming Senate and will now move on to the Wyoming House of Representatives.

The bill would classify child sex changes as child abuse. It was approved by a 22-9 vote.

You can read Senate File 111 here. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Charles Scott [R-Natrona County].

Under the legislation, performing a sex-change procedure on a minor would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison, whether the process is surgical, drug-induced, or some combination of those. The bill says explicitly that getting consent from the child or the child's parents, guardian, or anyone else responsible for the child would not be a defense against child abuse charges in the case.

The bill does offer some exceptions under some circumstances.

Here is how the Senate voted Thursday on Senate File 111:

Ayes: Biteman, Boner, Bouchard, Brennan, Cooper, Dockstader, French, Hicks, Hutchings, Ide, Jones, Kinskey, Kolb, Laursen, McKeown, Nethercott, Salazar, Pappas, Schuler, Scott, Steinmetz, President Driskill

Nays: Anderson, Baldwin, Barlow, Case, Ellis, Furphy, Gierau, Landen, Rothfuss