Missouri Senate Passes Ban on Medical Procedures for Transgender Minors Despite Democratic Filibuster.

The Missouri Senate has given initial approval to two bills that would limit medical procedures for transgender children and place restrictions on transgender girls playing school sports. The legislation would ban puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries for individuals younger than 18. However, a last-minute change to the bill allows patients to continue taking puberty blockers or hormone therapy if they started those treatments before Aug. 28, 2023, when the law would take effect. The bill’s restrictions on puberty blockers and hormone therapy expire on Aug. 28, 2027, unless the legislature re-approves them. The ban on surgeries does not expire. The Senate also approved legislation that would restrict transgender athletes to playing on school sports teams matching the sex on their birth certificate.