South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed a bill Monday banning gender-affirming treatments for minors.
The new law, titled HB 1080, or the “Help Not Harm” bill, blocks minors from accessing puberty-blocking drugs, surgeries or hormone therapies in order to change their genders.
There are also punishments for doctors who provide these interventions, including potential revocation of their medical licenses and exposure to lawsuits.
State Republicans introduced the bill in January. The law will go into effect July 1.
“South Dakota’s kids are our future. With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans,” Noem said in a statement Monday.
The bill reads that “a healthcare professional may not, for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or to validate a minor’s perception of, the minor’s sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex, knowingly.”
Other states that have banned similar interventions include Alabama, Arkansas, and Utah.
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