Protect health information from federal overreach

I urgently request that you expand Michigan's shield laws to protect gender-affirming care. While our state protects reproductive healthcare, transgender patients and providers remain entirely exposed to hostile out-of-state legal overreach. This threat is real. A Texas federal judge ordered Rhode Island Hospital to turn over the private medical histories of minors who received gender-affirming care. This overreach attempted to weaponize a Texas court to seize protected health information hundreds of miles away. Without statutory shield laws, Michigan providers face identical subpoenas. Furthermore, healthcare weaponization in Texas has reached horrifying heights. Medical institutions are being forced into settlements that strip away pediatric care and mandate millions to fund "detransition" clinics. It is chilling to see state power combined to dismantle evidence-based medicine. Michigan must stand against this erosion of civil rights. I urge the Legislature to codify a comprehensive shield statute that: • Prohibits state cooperation with out-of-state investigations or subpoenas. • Bars extradition for providing or receiving lawful gender-affirming treatments. • Safeguards medical information by penalizing entities that unlawfully disclose patient data. Executive orders are temporary. Michigan needs permanent protections to secure the right to private healthcare within our borders.