Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law on Friday a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in the state.
Senate Bill 14 prevents healthcare workers from providing gender transition surgery, medicine, or therapy to anyone under the age of 18, and violators will be at risk of losing their medical licenses.
The law provides limited exceptions for trans minors who have already started non-surgical gender-affirming care before June 1, 2023, and have completed at least 12 sessions of mental health counseling or psychotherapy six months prior to starting prescription drug care. Those eligible can continue their care but must gradually "wean off the prescription" drugs.
The new law is set to go into effect on September 1.
Last year Abbott ordered the state's child protective agency to probe parents on suspicion of child abuse if it was found that their children received such transgender medical care. A Texas judge subsequently halted the investigations.
Texas is among at least 18 states that have implemented similar bans; however, it’s the most populous state of the bunch.
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