On Thursday, SB0016 received a very restrictive substitute 4 in the House. This did three things:
1. Allows a youth to reverse consent and sue.
2. Allows the bill to go into effect immediately upon the Governor’s signature if both chambers have at least a two thirds vote. What was stated in the bill was May 3rd.
3. Removes the just instituted sunset date
The bill then passed the House with more than two-thirds of the chamber voting for it. The very next day, the Senate had it on its concurrence calendar and also voted with more than two-thirds of its chamber. This kicked in a clause of the bill that sent it to the Governor for signature and by statute, bills of this type had ten days to be signed, vetoed, or it would go into effect after the tenth day. The Governor signed it on Saturday.
So in succession, approvals on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday and on the whole, this bill became law at the end of the second week of the session.
Not to be slow either, it was announced in an interview Sunday that the National Center for Lesbians Rights (NCLR) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) were preparing a lawsuit. With that, it is worth noting the healthcare bans passed before 2023 across the US and the lawsuit status against them.
Tennessee passed a ban on providing hormone therapy to prepubescent youth. Well, no on does that. It certainly isn’t in our Standards of Care. So Tennessee earns a collective yawn.
Arizona has banned healthcare for youth. It doesn’t go into effect until April 1, 2023, so it could easily be challenged in court by then. We will watch.
Alabama passed a transgender youth healthcare ban. It was enjoined in the courts from being enforced on May 13, 2022 and is proceeding through its lawsuit.
Arkansas passed a transgender youth healthcare ban. It was enjoined in the courts from being enforced on July 21, 2021, the injunction was re-affirmed on August 25, 2022, and is proceeding through its lawsuit.
Lawsuits – Transgender Youth Healthcare