The legislation imposes a felony charge on doctors who perform sex-change surgeries on children, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
A new report, issued by an international group of legal experts and backed by the United Nations, says that children under the age of 18 have the right to make sexual decisions.
California lawmakers are considering a bill, AB 1314, which would require schools to notify parents within three days if their child requests to be referred to by a name typically associated with the opposite gender or uses a bathroom or locker room designated for the opposite sex.
Indiana has joined over a dozen other U.S. states in banning gender-affirming medical procedures for minors, with Governor Eric Holcomb signing a bill that prohibits these procedures on the basis that permanent gender-changing surgeries and medical preparations for such transitions should only occur as an adult.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the age in which a child may undergo gender operations is up to the "child and their parents to decide."
"This bill is aptly named the Vulnerable Child Protection Act because it seeks to protect children with gender dysphoria from medical and surgical interventions that can cause permanent damage to their bodies before they are mature enough to make such serious health decisions," writes Idaho's Gov. Little.
