Kansas lawmakers override veto of ban on gender-affirming care for kids
Kansas lawmakers on Tuesday overrode a veto of the Help Not Harm Act that bans gender-affirming care for minors. Photo Courtesy of the Kansas State Capitol Visitor Center
Kansas lawmakers on Tuesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a measure that bans gender-affirming care for minors in the state.
Republican lawmakers voted to override Kelly’s veto by 84-35 in the House and 31-9 in the Senate to muster the two-thirds majorities required to overturn a veto, the Lawrence Journal-World reported. The measure takes effect after it is published in the Kansas register sometime this month.
House speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson in a joint statement issued Tuesday said they voted on Tuesday “in honor of the children Gov. Kelly failed to protect with her repeated vetoes of this sensible legislation,” The Hill reported.
“With help from Kansas voters last fall, we were able to override her veto and protect Kansas children from these harmful, irreversible and experimental gender-reassignment surgeries and medicines,” Hawkins and Masterson said in the statement that is posted on X.
“We are so thankful to everyone who made this victory for common-sense possible.”
Kansas Senate Bill 63, which is dubbed the “Help Not Harm Act,” bans the use of puberty blockers, hormone therapy, surgery and other forms of gender-affirming care on minors and could cause medical doctors to lose their medical licenses if they undertake such procedures.
The measure also bans the use of state funds to pay for psychological treatment for children who identify as transgender, prohibits state workers from advocating for “social transitioning and blocks insurers from issuing liability insurance to cover potential damages arising from gender-affirming care.
In addition to blocking liability insurance, the law enables individuals to sue healthcare providers who provide such care, the Advocate reported.
The veto override votes in the Kansas House and Senate occurred without prior notice to the chambers’ respective Democratic Party caucuses.
“It is inappropriate that the Legislature dictate to parents how to best raise their children,” Kelly said following the successful veto override vote.
“It is unfortunate that the first bill the Legislature sent me this session is focused on putting politicians between Kansans and their private medical decisions instead of prioritizing solutions to issues like rising prices and the cost of groceries, which would benefit everyone,” Kelly said.
“This divisive bill will undoubtedly have ripple effects that harm Kansas families, our businesses and our economy and intensify our workforce shortage issue.”
The American Medical Associations supports gender-affirming care but does not distinguish between such care for adults versus minors.
“Gender-affirming care is an important means of improving health outcomes for the transgender population,” the AMA says.
“Receipt of gender-affirming care has been linked to dramatically reduced rates of suicide attempts, decreased rates of depression and anxiety, decreased substance use, improved HIV medication adherence and reduced rates of harmful self-prescribed hormone use,” the AMA says.