Genital surgeries include removing a child’s genitals to facilitate a so-called “gender transition” or altering the genitals to make them resemble the genitals of the opposite sex. Other procedures include the removal or addition of breasts, facial and vocal surgeries, and hair reconstruction.
The prohibition on gender transition drugs for children applies to puberty-blocking drugs, which seeks to delay or suppress normal physiological development during puberty. It also applies to hormone therapy when meant to change estrogen or testosterone to levels that would not be normal in a child for his or her given sex and age.
Although the law does not establish any criminal penalties for a medical professional who violates the law, any person found in violation will have his or her medical license revoked.
The law also establishes civil remedies that will allow a patient to sue any person who facilitated a gender transition in violation of this law when the person was a minor.
The legislation further prohibits any state funds from being used to facilitate gender transitions for minors through surgery or drugs.
State law will provide an exception when a child has a sex development issue, such as when the gender of the child is ambiguous or the child is born with both ovarian and testicular tissue. The law also allows such treatments and surgeries when not meant to facilitate a gender transition, such as for the treatment of any infection, injury, disease, or disorder or a breast reduction surgery to resolve a physical disorder.