By TRISHA AHMED Associated Press/Report for America
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum signed a bill into law that makes it a crime to give gender-affirming care to people younger than 18.
Gender-affirming care for minors has increasingly come under attack in many conservative legislatures, including North Dakota, where lawmakers have passed at least three anti-trans bills this year.
The measure that Burgum signed Wednesday received veto-proof support from GOP lawmakers — though some Republicans did vote against it, alongside Democrats.
In a statement released Thursday morning, Burgum said the law is "aimed at protecting children from the life-altering ramifications of gender reassignment surgeries" but he added that medical professionals have testified these surgeries have not been and are not being performed on minors in North Dakota.
He said the law still allows medication treatment for early onset puberty and other rare circumstances with parental consent, and minors currently receiving gender-affirming care will still be able to receive treatment.
"Going forward, thoughtful debate around these complex medical policies should demonstrate compassion and understanding for all North Dakota youth and their families," he said.
The new law takes immediate effect and allows prosecutors to charge a health care provider with a felony — up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines — for performing sex reassignment surgery on a minor.
