INDIANAPOLIS — Governor Eric Holcomb signed 12 bills into law Wednesday afternoon, including one that will ban doctors from being able to prescribe hormones or puberty blockers to transgender youth.
Senate Bill 480 will prohibit physicians or practitioners from knowingly providing gender transition procedures to a minor. It also prohibits them from referring minors to other practitioners for those procedures.
The bill would also allow the Indiana Attorney General to investigate and "bring action to enforce compliance."
Governor Holcomb issued the following statement about his decision to sign SB 480 into law.
“Permanent gender-changing surgeries with lifelong impacts and medically prescribed preparation for such a transition should occur as an adult, not as a minor. There has and will continue to be debate within the medical community about the best ways to provide physical and mental health care for adolescents who are struggling with their own gender identity, and it is important that we recognize and understand those struggles are real. With all of that in mind, I have decided to sign SB 480 into law.”
The bill's author, Sen. Tyler Johnson, praised Gov. Holcomb for signing the bill in his statement below.
"I am very pleased to see Gov. Holcomb support my bill, which addresses the need to protect a group of vulnerable Hoosier children. We have the utmost compassion for children suffering with gender dysphoria and they deserve sensible counseling. Gender related procedures on children are growing at an alarming rate in the United States while other countries are scaling back their use. Since these procedures have irreversible and life-altering effects, it is appropriate and necessary for our state to make sure these procedures are performed only on adults who can make the decision on their own behalf."
The ACLU also responded to the governor's signing of SB 480 saying they intend to challenge the law in court.
Jane Henegar, Executive Director of the ACLU of Indiana issued the following statement:
“This is a devastating development for transgender youth in Indiana and heartbreaking for all of us who love and support them. Indiana politicians continue to fail trans youth, so it is up to each and every one of us to rise against their ignorance and surround these young people with strength, safety, and love. In addition to targeting an already vulnerable group, this law blatantly disregards the rights of parents and families to make decisions about their children’s health. The ACLU is dedicated to overturning this unconstitutional law and is confident the state will find itself completely incapable of defending it in court.”
The 11 other bills signed into law on April 5 include:
SB 048: Child Sex Offences
SB 114: Receivership for Past Utility Bills
SB 296: Sale of Tax-Delinquent Real Property
SB 374: Regional Water, Sewage or Solid Waste Districts
SB 445: Electronic Monitoring Standards
HB 1323: Information Privacy Relating to Firearms
HB 1327: Accountancy
SEA 106: Local Powers Concerning Elections
SEA 181: Cause of Action Concerning Restraint of Trade
HEA 1076: Indiana National Guard Matters
HEA 1048: Technical Corrections
