Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signs bill barring trans youth from accessing transition-related care

Texas lawmakers ban treatments for transgender minors

Texas lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Greg Abbott's desk that will ban treatments for transgender children and teens. It's a main proposal in a cluster of GOP bills that aim to put restrictions on LGBTQ Texans this session.

AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 14 into law Friday, which bars transgender juveniles from getting puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

The measure was approved during the regular session.

The law is set to take effect September 1.

The GOP-controlled Legislature sent the bill to Abbott last month. Republicans in the Senate took the final vote over the objections from Democrats, who used parliamentary maneuvers to delay passage but could not derail it entirely.

Transgender rights activists have disrupted the Texas House with protests from the chamber gallery, which led to state police forcing demonstrators to move outside the building.

Texas joins 17 other states in restricting transgender minors from accessing puberty blockers and hormone therapies.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups promised to take legal action to stop the law from going into effect.

So far, no lawsuits have been filed.

Texas has become the most populous state to ban gender-affirming care for minors, joining at least 18 other states that have enacted similar bans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report