Feb. 14 (UPI) -- South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has signed a bill into law that bans hormone therapy and surgical procedures for minors seeking gender-related healthcare in the state.
House Bill 1080, which will take effect July 1, outlaws several specific medical treatments, including sterilization and reconstructive surgeries, the administration of any drug that inhibits normal puberty; testosterone, estrogen or progesterone injections; and anyone under 18 is prohibited from receiving prescription drugs that promote gender transition.
"South Dakota's kids are our future," Noem said Monday before signing the bill. "With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures. I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans."
Violating the law could lead to civil legal penalties, and worse, providers could lose their license to practice healthcare in the state.
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The move by South Dakota is the latest in a wider Republican effort nationwide to target LGBTQ rights, including gender-affirming care for minors.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signed a similar law in late January, which bans surgical procedures that alter sex characteristics on minors.
Last April, Alabama made it a felony for doctors to provide gender-affirming care to minors, and the Florida Department of Health barred social transition care for children who identify as transgender or gender diverse.
A total of 93 similar bills to restrict LGBTQ access to healthcare are being considered in state legislatures across the country, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Gender-affirming care is designed to help individuals transition from their gender at birth to the opposite sex. Treatments can vary widely and could come in the form of hormone therapy and puberty suppression, which would ultimately change a person's physical appearance.
Throughout the U.S. health industry, gender reassignment surgery is widely considered medically unacceptable for children.
South Dakota state Sen. Al Novstrup, who helped sponsor the legislation, said the new law will provide "meaningful help" to "children who are struggling with their identities."
Opponents say the law is too intrusive, with the government imposing on medical privacy at the expense of children who identify as transgender or nonbinary.
The ACLU issued a statement Monday blasting South Dakota's new law, calling it a "heartbreaking and tragic day for thousands of South Dakotans and their families."
