Dozens of bills that aim to ban or prohibit access to gender transition surgeries
, hormone therapy, or puberty blockers for minors are being considered in several state legislatures.
Montana, Oklahoma
, Tennessee, Idaho, and South Dakota’s state legislatures advanced legislation this week that would restrict or ban people under 18 from accessing what the bill calls “gender transition” procedures. Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, and Utah have already enacted policies that restrict minors’ access to transgender procedures.
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South Dakota
A bill that would restrict access to puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and gender transition surgeries for people younger than 18 is headed to the desk of Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) desk for signature after passing the state Senate in a 30 to 4 vote on Thursday. Noem has expressed support for the legislation.
The legislation would limit doctors from performing any sterilization surgery, including castration, hysterectomy, and vasectomy, on anyone under 18. One Republican lawmaker had proposed an amendment to still allow minors to be prescribed puberty blockers, but it did not gain enough support.
The ACLU of South Dakota called the bill an example of “vast government overreach that undermines the fundamental rights of parents.”
Last year, Noem signed legislation that limits female school sports leagues in public K-12 schools and some private schools and universities to students who are biologically female.
If Noem signs the transgender bill, South Dakota would become the second state to pass such legislation this year. Last month, Utah passed a similar measure.
Montana
A bill by Republican state Sen. John Fuller passed Montana’s Senate on Wednesday in a 30-to-20 vote, with several Republican lawmakers joining the Democratic opposition. Senate Bill 99 would prohibit minors from accessing puberty blockers, hormone treatment, gender transition surgeries, and other medications that are commonly used to suppress puberty. It would also bar state Medicaid from covering the procedures and prohibit the use of state funding toward them.
State employees are also prohibited from knowingly “promoting” such treatments to minors and could be subject to disciplinary action if they are found in violation of the legislation.
The legislation will now advance to the Republican-led state House of Representatives, where a hearing will first be held with the Judiciary Committee.
Oklahoma
A bill that would make it illegal for health providers to perform gender transition surgeries on or give hormone treatments to minors passed through an Oklahoma Senate committee on Wednesday.
The legislation, Senate Bill 613
, would prohibit doctors from providing “gender transition procedures” to anyone under 18 years old. Those who violate the bill would face up to 10 years in prison and would be subject to a $100,000 fine.
“We’re talking about irreversible, medical transitions in children under the age of 18, and we in this state believe that we need to hit the pause button on this and allow these children to mature to make use of any other treatment allowed under this bill, including behavioral and mental health treatment and medication for depression and anxiety, because quite often in these situations those could be at the root of the issue,” said Republican state Sen. Julie Daniels, who sponsored the bill.
A similar measure that aims to ban transgender procedures for anyone under 26 was also amended this week, lowering the age to 18 after receiving pushback from transgender activists. Over 100 protesters from Oklahomans For Equality and Freedom Oklahoma protested at the Oklahoma Capitol on Monday against the bills.
Gov. Kevin Stitt (R-OK) has thrown his support behind the measures.
“After all, minors can’t vote, can’t purchase alcohol, can’t purchase cigarettes. … We shouldn’t allow a minor to get a permanent gender-altering surgery in Oklahoma,” Stitt said in his State of the State address.
Tennessee
Identical Republican-sponsored bills to ban puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and gender transition surgeries were handily approved in Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Health Committee earlier this week. The legislation would allow the parents of any minor who commits suicide after receiving transgender procedures the right to sue their health providers for up to 30 years after the minor turns 18 years old.
The legislation would also establish a method for people to report violations to the state’s attorney general. A full vote could come as early as next week on the bills.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s transgender clinic in Nashville said last October it had paused providing gender transition surgeries to patients under 18 after Republican state lawmakers pressured the hospital to halt the procedures.
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Idaho
A bill in Idaho was approved by the House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration committees on Tuesday that would make it a felony for doctors who knowingly provide hormone treatment, puberty blockers, or another medical practice “upon a child for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the child’s perception of the child’s sex if that perception is inconsistent with the child’s biological sex,” according to its text.
Health providers that violate the bill would face up to 10 years in prison. Idaho is one of several states that allow patients to refuse medical treatment for their children if it goes against their religious beliefs.
Several parents and health providers spoke at the committee hearing in support of and opposition to the bill.
“Give parents, physicians and behavioral health specialists and patients the space that we all need to provide evidence-based care for our patients,” Dr. Neil Ragan, a family physician in the state, told the committee according to the Hastings Tribune.
Republicans on the committee argued that the transgender procedures could have irreversible effects on minors. The legislation is expected to be taken up for a full House vote soon.
