Missouri Governor Enacts Legislation Preserving Female Sports Integrity, Protecting Children from Experimental Surgeries and Treatments

In a significant move aimed at preserving the integrity of female sports and protecting Missouri’s children from possibly damaging experimental surgeries and treatment, Governor Mike Parson has enacted Senate Bill (SB) 39 and SB 49.

These pieces of legislation have considerable implications for educational institutions and healthcare providers across the state.

Governor Parson underscored the importance of SB 39, which denies biological male students the ability to compete on sports teams earmarked for biological females.

The law pertains to a broad range of educational institutions from elementary and secondary schools to postsecondary establishments, including private and public schools, colleges, and universities.

“We appreciate Senator Holly Rehder for leading on this issue and fighting for women and girls across the state,” Governor Parson stated.

He added, “We, along with the vast majority of the General Assembly, agree that women and girls deserve fair sports competition without intrusion from biological men. Women and girls deserve and have fought for an equal opportunity to succeed, and with this legislation today, we stand up to the nonsense and stand with them as they take back their sport competitions. In Missouri, we support real fairness, not injustice disguised as social righteousness.”

The second bill, SB 49, inaugurates the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act.

This act restricts healthcare providers from carrying out gender transition surgeries or prescribing hormones or drugs for gender transition to Missouri children under 18.

In explaining the purpose of the SAFE Act, Governor Parson said, “We support everyone’s right to his or her own pursuit of happiness; however, we must protect children from making life-altering decisions that they could come to regret in adulthood once they have physically and emotionally matured.”

He expressed gratitude to Senator Mike Moon for his role in passing SB 49, saying it was necessary to “protect Missouri children from harmful, irreversible treatments and procedures. These decisions have permanent consequences for life and should not be made by impressionable children who may be in crisis or influenced by the political persuasions of others.”

The SAFE Act also forbids MO HealthNet, Missouri’s Medicaid program, from covering gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones, or puberty-blocking drugs for the sake of gender transition.

This stipulation also extends to incarcerated individuals in Missouri prisons, jails, and correction centers who will not receive health care services that include elective gender transition surgeries.

The enactment of these clauses ensures that Missouri taxpayer dollars will not be expended on elective gender transition procedures.

In essence, Governor Parson’s legislative decisions reflect an effort to ensure fairness in women’s sports and safeguard young people from making irreversible, life-altering decisions.

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