The legislation, passed 66-28 by the state House of Representatives on the last day of the legislative session, is the latest in a series of steps taken in Republican-run states regarding transgender youth.
The American Civil Liberties Union called it the first such bill to make health care for transgender youth a crime and said it would challenge the bill in court if Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed as law.
The bill http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/ALISON/SearchableInstruments/2022RS/PrintFiles/SB184-eng.pdf would make the provision of medical care, including hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery to minors, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Minority Democrats tried to fight the bill in part by arguing that it contradicted Republican principles about the role of government.
“This is not a small government; this is not a Conservative bill,” Democratic Rep. Neil Rafferty told the chamber.
But Republican Representative Wes Allen likened the initiative to laws that prevent minors from getting tattoos or buying nicotine products.
“We make decisions all the time in this body that are meant to protect children from decisions that could permanently harm them,” Allen said.
Ivey hasn’t said whether she’ll sign the bill, but last year she signed a bill banning transgender athletes from school sports. Ivey’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The bill would also require school personnel to disclose to the parent or legal guardian that “a minor’s perception of his or her gender or sex is incompatible with his or her sex”.
Last week, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey signed a bill banning irreversible sex reassignment surgery for minors.
Leading medical and mental health professionals say gender-affirming care saves lives by reducing the risk of depression and suicide. Gender reassignment surgery for people under the age of 18 is extremely rare and would only take place after years of treatment in cases where the wishes of the patient are unwavering, according to medical experts.
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly opposed the bill and urged Ivey to veto it.
“This legislation targets vulnerable young people and puts them at great risk of physical and mental harm,” Mark Del Monte, chief executive of the academy, said in a statement. “Criminalizing evidence-based and medically necessary services is dangerous.”
The Alabama Senate also passed a bill that would require public school students to use bathrooms or locker rooms that match the gender listed on their original birth certificate. An amendment has been attached to the bill, which must now return to the House for a vote, banning any classroom discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity in certain classes.
Transgender rights have emerged as one of the issues at the forefront of the culture wars ahead of the November congressional midterm elections. Lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills into state legislatures, the majority of them dealing with transgender youth.
Many Republicans and conservative activists promote these laws as protections for children and parental rights. Opponents, including Democrats and LGBTQ+ organizations, say the legislation is harmful, unnecessary and unfairly targets vulnerable and underrepresented communities.