Louisiana will ban certain transgender procedures on people under the age of 18 after lawmakers overturned the governor’s veto of the bill.
The Stop Harming Our Kids Act, also known as HB 648 (pdf), was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature along party lines in early June, but Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, had vetoed the bill.
State lawmakers overturned Mr. Edwards’ veto of the bill at a special override session on Tuesday, which means the measure is now slated to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
The new law will bar healthcare professionals from providing transgender procedures to minors, such as hormone treatments, puberty-blocking drugs, and gender reassignment surgery.
Critics have decried gender reassignment surgery, which includes procedures like double mastectomies for girls who identify as boys, as a form of mutilation.
The override needed a 60 percent majority in both chambers of the legislature. The Louisiana House vote was 76-23, and the Senate House vote was 28-11.
Until 2024, the current regulations in Louisiana on transgender procedures for children apply—anyone under 18 is required to obtain parental consent before they can access hormone therapies, puberty blockers, and other treatments for gender dysphoria.
Gender dysphoria is generally defined as distress over gender identity that doesn’t match a person’s biological sex.
In a statement following the override, Mr. Edwards said the legislation “needlessly harms a very small population of vulnerable children, their families, and their health care professionals.” He also said he expects the courts to “throw out this unconstitutional bill.”
‘Sent a Signal to America’
Attorney General Jeff Landry, a Republican, praised the latest development. In a statement, he said that Louisiana now “joins all of its neighboring states in protecting children.”
“We have sent a signal to America that Louisiana intends to strengthen the family unit and to protect children from harmful gender reassignment surgeries,” he said.
“By overriding the governor’s veto of Rep. Gabe Firment’s bill, we send a clear signal that woke liberal agendas that are destructive to children will not be tolerated in Louisiana. And I’m proud of those in the Legislature who voted to make this override successful.”
