At least 16 states have taken action to ban doctors from performing transgender surgeries and procedures on minors.
Arkansas became the first state to ban the surgeries and procedures for minors when the Legislature overrode Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of the Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act.
Polling conducted by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation found that 57% of Americans oppose allowing minors with gender dysphoria to receive gender transition surgery, puberty blockers, or cross-sex hormones.
Alabama
Under Alabama’s Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, doctors would be prohibited from treating Alabama minors with hormone therapy, surgery, or puberty blockers “intended to alter the minor child’s gender or delay puberty.”
The bill would also require schools to let parents know if their child has the “perception that his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex” and establish criminal penalties for violations.
Arkansas
Arkansas’ Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act, otherwise known as the SAFE Act, prohibits physicians from performing gender transition procedures, such as puberty blockers or “top” and “bottom” surgeries, on minors.
Florida
Florida’s Youth Gender and Sexual Identity Act would criminalize transgender surgeries or medical treatments for minors.
Georgia
Lawmakers in Georgia introduced the Vulnerable Child Protection Act in February, legislation that also requires penalties for health care professionals who perform transgender surgeries or procedures on minors.
Kansas
Kansas lawmakers introduced SB 214 in February, a bill that makes “it a crime for a physician to perform gender reassignment surgery or hormone replacement therapy on certain children.”
Kentucky
Kentucky’s “act relating to parental consent for transgender health services” would prohibit minors from receiving “transgender health services” without parental permission.
Louisiana
Louisiana lawmakers introduced legislation that requires parental consent for “medical and therapeutic procedures and practices” under certain circumstances and prohibits a minor from consenting to gender therapy.
Missouri
Missouri’s SB 442 bans transgender surgeries or hormone treatment for minors. The legislation says that any medical professionals who “willfully and knowingly” violate this provision may lose their professional license and ability to practice.
Montana
Montana’s “Act Providing for Youth Health Protection Laws” seeks to “enhance the protection of minors” who are experiencing distress with identifying with their biological sex “from being subjects of irreversible and drastic nongenital gender reassignment surgery and irreversible, permanently sterilizing genital gender reassignment surgery.” The bill prohibits trans surgeries or procedures for minors.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s HB 68 “adds sexual reassignment to the definition of an abused child in RSA 169-C, the child protection act.”
North Carolina
North Carolina lawmakers introduced the Youth Health Protection Act, a bill that seeks to “protect minors” from the administration of puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and “other related actions, procedures, and treatments.” The bill differs from similar legislation in that it would classify minors as “any individual who is below 21 years of age.”
Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s SB 676 prohibits transgender surgeries or procedures for minors. The bill also explicitly notes that parents may not “obtain gender reassignment medical treatment for the child.”
South Carolina
Lawmakers in South Carolina introduced the SC Minor Child Compassion and Protection Act March 9, legislation that prohibits transgender surgeries or procedures upon a minor with a few exceptions.
Tennessee
Tennessee’s HB 0578 “prohibits the provision of sexual identity change therapy to prepubescent minors,” as well as “prohibits the provision of sexual identity change therapy to minors who have entered puberty unless a parent or guardian has written recommendations for the therapy from at least three physicians.” The bill, introduced Feb. 9, punishes violations as child abuse.
Texas
Texas lawmakers have introduced a number of bills, such as HB 4014, SB 1646, HB 2693, HB 1399, and HB 68, that prohibit transgender surgeries and procedures for minors and classify these procedures as child abuse.
Utah
Utah’s Medical Practice Amendments, introduced in January, would prohibit “a physician or surgeon from performing a transgender procedure on a minor.”
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