Missouri lawmakers approved two bills Wednesday that would add new bans on gender-affirming health care and sports participation for trans minors in the state.
One bill would ban access to puberty blockers, hormones or gender-affirming surgery for minors, as well as for gender-affirming care paid for by Medicaid. It would also ban such surgeries for prisoners or inmates.
Another bill would ban transgender girls or women from participating on women's school sports teams, from kindergarten to college levels. Any schools that allowed transgender girls or women to play would lose state funding.
Missouri's Republican Gov. Mike Parson is expected to sign both bills.
Transgender rights groups in the state criticized the legislation. The ACLU of Missouri called the measures "weaponization of the government."
Gov. Parson said he would force the legislature to keep working past the expected end of the session on May 12 if they did not approve the bills for his signature.
Kansas City considers sanctuary status for gender-affirming care
At least 16 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming health care.
The legislative developments come as officials in Kansas City, Missouri, push to give the city sanctuary status for those seeking or giving gender-affirming care.
A Kansas City Council committee approved that measure the same day the state legislature advanced its ban bills.
Meanwhile, an emergency regulation from the Missouri Attorney General instituted in April would require minors seeking gender-affirming care to first obtain at least 18 months of "psychological or psychiatric" screening with a therapist.
A St. Louis County judge put a 14-day restraining order on the regulation in early May, saying the Attorney General may have overstepped their authority.
