Congress is set to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds for gender transition surgeries for children receiving medical care through the military’s health care program, according to the text of legislation released Saturday evening.

This year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) includes provisions barring Tricare from covering transgender procedures that could “result in sterilization” of minors.

Section 708 of the NDAA states: “Medical interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria that could result in sterilization may not be provided to a child under the age of 18,” according to a copy of the NDAA viewed by The Daily Wire.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told the outlet on Saturday that this is a “critical and necessary step” in the fight against “radical gender ideology.”

“Taxpayer dollars should never be used to support procedures and treatments that could permanently harm and sterilize young people,” Johnson told The Daily Wire. “In this year’s NDAA, we’re taking a critical and necessary step to protect the children of American service members from radical gender ideology and experimental drugs.”

He further promised: “House Republicans will continue to take action to protect America’s kids.”

BREAKING: The TRICARE program, which handles health care for the military, is banning transgender procedures that "could result in sterilization" of children. This is the final language of the NDAA legislation, which was just negotiated by leadership in the Senate & House: pic.twitter.com/C2J9eBk5ON

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) December 8, 2024

The announcement comes on the heels of oral arguments heard by the Supreme Court regarding Tennessee’s law banning transgender procedures for minors. Conservatives have rallied in support of Tennessee’s efforts, hoping the law will set a precedent for other states or even the federal government to enact similar legislation.

Following the hearing, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) introduced legislation to ban doctors nationwide from performing life-altering and irreversible transgender procedures on minors.

The provision in the NDAA was initially added to the bill over the summer. Although there was speculation that it might be removed during negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, it remained intact and is included in the final version of the legislation. The provision appears on page 398 of the nearly 2,000-page bill.