Latest news with #HB377
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
N.H. lawmakers send bills banning gender-affirming care, surgeries for minors to Governor Kelly Ayotte
Advertisement If the bills become law, New Hampshire would become the first state in New England to enact such bans, joining 25 other states across the country that have banned gender-affirming medication for young people, according to the Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up New Hampshire was already one of two states to ban gender-affirming surgeries, along with Arizona. All other New England states have laws protecting access to this care, according to the project. Proponents of the bans argue that children shouldn't access the treatments they view as harmful and irreversible, while opponents said the measure discriminates against transgender individuals and that medical decisions should be left to doctors and the families seeking care. Advertisement The approval of the bills comes on the heels of a US Supreme Court decision last week that upheld a similar ban in Tennessee on gender-affirming care, emboldening 'It is now legal and constitutional for states to regulate and or ban the use of these harmful drugs in minors,' said Representative Lisa Mazur, a Goffstown Republican and the prime sponsor of both bills. But some attorneys disagree with that interpretation and contend there are still legal avenues for challenging the bans if they become law in New Hampshire. Potential challenges could focus on whether the law complies with New Hampshire's constitution, if it was intended to harm transgender youth, and whether it violates parental rights, according to Chris Erchull, senior staff attorney at GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders. Democrats in both the House and the Senate echoed similar concerns on Thursday ahead of votes that fell largely along party lines. 'We have heard time and time again this session, even on the previous bill, the parents should have the final say about their children and their child's health, and here we are taking away life saving health care options for all parents,' said Representative Alice Wade, a Dover Democrat and transgender woman, who choked back tears during an emotional speech on the House floor Thursday. Wade said she has taken hormone therapy medication since 2018, but this bill would stop doctors from prescribing it to transgender youth, while allowing them to prescribe it to cisgender youth. HB 377 explicitly allows children with a ' Advertisement 'That is not parental rights,' said Wade. 'It's just discrimination, plain and simple.' Governor Kelly Ayotte has not said whether she will sign the bills. Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Boston Globe
18-06-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
What does upholding Tennesee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors mean for similar bills in N.H.?
New Hampshire Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up If either becomes law, New Hampshire would be the first state in New England to enact such bans, joining 25 other states that have banned such care for youth, according to the that provides research to promote equality. Advertisement A Advertisement Erchull said the US Supreme Court ruling finds that a ban on medical care for minors is not sex-based discrimination, but rather a regulation of medical procedures based on age. He disagrees, and notes that legal avenues are still available to challenge HB 377 should it become law in New Hampshire. That could include a challenge based on the New Hampshire constitution, arguing that the intent of the law was to harm transgender people, or a challenge on the basis of parental rights. 'It's legislation that very clearly impacts a family's ability, a parent's ability, to make important decisions with medical consultation about how to care for their children,' he said. 'And this is coming from the same exact people, the same exact legislators who tout National Center for LGBTQ Rights Legal Director 'Healthcare decisions belong with families, not politicians. This decision will cause real harm,' he said. Some New Hampshire Republicans celebrated the US Supreme Court decision. 'I applaud Tennessee for protecting children from irreversible harm by banning puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors,' said New Hampshire state Representative Sayra DeVito, a Danville Republican who is a co-sponsor of HB 377. 'Children deserve the chance to grow, mature, and fully understand themselves before making permanent decisions about their bodies,' DeVito said in a statement. 'There's no discrimination in protecting children. Tennessee is leading with courage and common sense.' Advertisement Representative Erica Layon, a Derry Republican, said she hoped the Supreme Court's decision would 'bring reason back to healthcare for young people.' 'I believe that history will view these surgeries as just as harmful as other conversion therapies practiced in the past upon gay, lesbian and bisexual youth,' she said. Democrats in New Hampshire, however, are criticizing the decision. House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson of Exeter said the decision cuts off parents' access to critical, evidence-based treatment for their children. 'These attacks aren't about protecting kids, they're actively putting lives at risk, with anti-trans laws tied to a New Hampshire families with transgender children had been anxiously awaiting the outcome of the Supreme Court case. Rosie Emrich sits for a portrait with her eight-year-old transgender child at their house in Hooksett, N.H., on April 17, 2025. Emrich said that her family is considering moving from New Hampshire to Massachusetts because of a series of bills that could limit her child's ability to access gender-affirming care. Brett Phelps for The Boston Globe Rosie Emrich, who has a transgender child said the US Supreme Court's decision was 'heartbreaking.' 'I feel sort of gutted,' she said. 'I think maybe I let myself get a little too hopeful.' Emrich has been weighing whether For now, she said, she plans to focus her attention on urging New Hampshire's Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte to veto HB 377. 'It does definitely bring a lot bigger sense of urgency to the stuff going on here in New Hampshire and the push to try to have the governor hear the impacts of this,' she said. Advertisement Lawmakers from the House and Senate met this week for negotiations over which version of HB 377 should proceed. The House has agreed to the Senate's position on the bill, and lawmakers have until Thursday afternoon to sign off Ayotte has not said if she supports a ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Amanda Gokee can be reached at
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House passes ban on puberty blockers, hormone therapies for minors
Rep. Alice Wade, a Dover Democrat and a transgender lawmaker, speaks against House Bill 148, which would roll back some anti-discrimination protections for transgender people, on Thursday, March 20, 2025. On March 27, Wade also spoke out against HB 377. (Photo by Ethan DeWitt/New Hampshire Bulletin) Transgender children and teenagers would be barred from receiving hormone therapy and puberty blockers under a bill that passed the New Hampshire House Thursday on nearly party lines. House Bill 377 would prohibit any medical procedures for people under 18 'for the purpose of altering or attempting to alter the appearance of or affirm the minor's perception of his or her gender or sex, if that perception is inconsistent with the minor's biological sex.' That prohibition includes puberty-blocking and hormone medication. Democrats decried the bill as discriminatory against transgender children, and said parents should be able to decide whether their children should have the treatments. Opponents noted that the medications would be denied only to minors who are seeking to realize their gender identity but would still be available for certain physical conditions, which they said meant the bill is aimed at transgender people. The bill 'unfairly targets a very small number of minors from getting the care that their parents and their medical providers believe they need,' said Rep. Jessica LaMontagne, a Dover Democrat. 'Despite what some proponents of this bill are telling you, these drugs are used safely and effectively for other reasons and their effects are reversible.' A number of Democratic representatives read testimony from children who have received gender-affirming medication and have improved their lives. But Republicans argued the procedures are dangerous, are difficult to undo, and that too little is known about their side effects. 'These drugs are not perfectly safe,' said Rep. Erica Layon, a Derry Republican. 'Anybody who says that is misleading parents, misleading kids, and misleading all of us.' Much of the Republican caucus left the House chamber during Democrats' speeches opposing the bill. The act specifically bans medical procedures 'enabling a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's biological sex and asserted identity.' Medical professionals who violate the proposed law could be charged with a Class B felony, which can carry up to seven years in prison and a fine of up to $4,000. The bill has exceptions for procedures for minors 'with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development.' And it would allow medical professionals who had already started a minor on such treatment before the bill takes effect to continue the treatment if stopping it 'would cause harm to the minor,' but requires the dosage to be tapered and reduced. The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2026. HB 377 would expand upon a bill that passed in 2024 and that banned gender transition 'bottom' surgeries for people under 18 in New Hampshire. Research indicates that gender-affirming procedures are rare for minors; a 2025 study from Harvard analyzing insurance claims from 2018 to 2022 found that about 0.1 percent of adolescents between age 8 and 17 have received puberty blockers or hormone replacement therapy. LaMontagne argued the bill prevented families from making the decision to support their child, and said the procedures usually follow years of therapy and discussion. 'This body just passed the parental bill of rights that includes the right to make health care decisions,' she said. 'So I call on all of you that voted for the parental bill of rights: Do you believe that parents know best, or do you not?' Rep. Alice Wade, a Dover Democrat who is transgender, said the therapies helped her transition and saved her life during a period when she was suicidal. Wade transitioned after she turned 18 but argued that other teenagers benefit from the procedures. 'Imagine receiving life-saving care, then having someone with no understanding or experience try to rip that away from you because they think they know better,' Wade said. She added: 'When people in this body say that we need nuanced discussions and compromise, I agree. The problem is that my position is I'd like to have access to health care, equal treatment, and to mind my own business.' But Rep. Lisa Mazur, a Goffstown Republican, argued that children and families did not know the risks of what they are choosing to adopt. 'Children cannot fully comprehend the lifelong consequences of altering their bodies with powerful medications,' Mazur said. '… Gender dysphoria is real and it's painful, and those struggling deserve compassion, but rushing minors into irreversible medical interventions is not the answer.' Layon added: 'Parents can't give informed consent if they aren't told of the risks of drugs and if they are told that the only alternative to treatment is as a dead child, because that is coercion and not consent.' The bill passed 197-167, with two Democrats, Reps. Dale Girard of Claremont and Jonah Wheeler of Peterborough, joining Republicans in favor, and four Republicans, Reps. Nicholas Bridle of Hampton, David Nagel of Gilmanton, John Styek of Salem, and Susan Vandecasteele of Salem, joining Democrats opposed. It heads next to the Senate.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House panel endorses bills to ban medical procedures for transgender minors
Mar. 19—A key House committee endorsed two bills along party lines to prevent minors from getting hormone treatments or breast surgeries tied to their attempts to transition from one gender to another. State Rep. Lisa Mazur, R-Goffstown, said a growing number of health care providers are declining to provide these procedures because some minors later regret altering their bodies. "I know this is an emotional subject. The big question to ask is do children change their minds? If so, please pass this bill because it gives them the time they need to truly understand the long-term impacts of these medical decisions," Mazur said. State Rep. Jessica Lamontagne, D-Dover, chastised Republicans for "hypocrisy," supporting the right of parents to make decisions for their children except when it comes to treatment for transgender minors. "Most people have no regret with this treatment and feel it has changed their lives," Lamontagne said. The House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee voted by identical 10-8 margins in favor of these bills banning puberty blockers and hormone treatments (HB 377) and breast surgery for minors that is elective (HB 712). All Republicans on the committee voted for them, all House Democrats opposed them. The ban on puberty blockers would make providing that treatment a Class B felony that could carry up to a 3 1/2 —to 7-year term in state prison. Mazur convinced the committee to amend her bill to allow minors who are getting these treatments to wean off of them over up to a six-month period. Medical providers who gave minors breast surgery services under the second bill could be subject to professional discipline. The bill would permit minors to receive breast surgery to "treat malignancy, injury, infection, or malformation." State banned anti-gay conversion therapy in 2018 Rep. Gary Woods, D-Bow, a retired surgeon, said lawmakers should not interfere in the practice of medicine. "The patient, doctor and parent are involved in medical decision making," Woods said. "What we are asking is for the Legislature to not intervene in that doctor and patient relationship." Mazur said minors are too young to have these procedures. "Children will never ever be able to come back from these life-altering surgeries that remove completely healthy body parts," Mazur said. In 2024, the Republican-led Legislature passed and former Gov. Chris Sununu signed legislation that outlawed minors having surgeries that altered their sex organs. State Rep. Tim Hartnett, D-Manchester, said the legislation goes too far. "This bill isn't banning hormone treatment for everybody. It is banning it for one narrow class of people and that's discriminatory," Hartnett added. Rep. Erica Layon, R-Derry, said many health care providers are reluctant to counsel minors against having these procedures. That's because the Legislature in 2018 outlawed conversion therapy which is the practice of a clinician trying to encourage patients to be heterosexual, she said. What's Next: The full House of Representatives will vote on both bills early next month Prospects: Pretty decent. Conservative Republicans in the House and Senate have supported similar bills in recent years. klandrigan@
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Transgender people oppose limits on minors' access to procedures
Mar. 3—Luke Boisvert of Nashua, a 13-year-old transgender male, said a proposed ban on minors receiving hormone treatments or puberty blockers could trap him in a prepubescent life because he suffers from Turner's syndrome. "Physically I can't go through puberty without these treatments," Boisvert told the House Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs Committee Monday. "I was just a little boy who didn't know how to say I was a boy." Luke's mother, Jennifer, said lawmakers have no business adopting these mandates. "My child's health care is my child's health care. Nobody in the government has any right to legislate that," Boisvert said. Over more than seven hours of testimony, transgender youths and their supporters opposed the bills, one to block the hormone treatments for minors (HB 377), and the other (HB 712) to outlaw breast surgeries for those under 18 except to "treat malignancy, injury, infection, or malformation." The ban on puberty blockers would make providing that treatment a Class B felony that could carry up to a three and a half-to-seven-year term in state prison. Medical providers who gave minors breast surgery services under the second bill could be subject to professional discipline. Rep. Lisa Masur, R-Goffstown, said her bills would protect minors as studies have shown nearly 90% of youths who explored transition decided to remain in their biological sex. "I have spoken personally with these families who have been devastated by these treatments, parents who thought they were only doing what their children wanted only to find they later suffered greatly," Masur said. "They need time and compassionate care, not radical medical intervention." Linds Jakows, co-founder of 603 Equality, a transgender advocacy group, said both bills violate the 2018 statute that outlaws bias based on gender identity. "These bills cruelly single out this care when it is performed for the purpose of a gender transition, although non-transgender young people also sometimes need the same exact care. That's discrimination," Jakows said. Masur said it's hypocritical for the state to allow minors to have these procedures. "We don't let minors get tattoos, go to tanning salons, buy cigarettes or consume alcohol because we know they lack maturity needed to make decisions," Masur said. "Why then would we let them make irrevocable medical choices that will affect their health and happiness all of their lives?" A.J. Coletti, a member of the N.H. Youth Movement, said it took him more than two years to get the double-mastectomy top surgery last Jan. 14 at age 19. (Top surgery is a procedure that reshapes the chest for a more masculine or feminine appearance.) "Despite the popular idea that these procedures are easy to get, getting approved by insurance and scheduled for elective surgery takes a long time," Coletti said. Rep. Erica Layon, R-Derry, maintained the medical community refuses to take a stand against these procedures for children. "In any other area of medicine, they would go the other way on this but look around, it's scary to talk about this because, A, they will be told they hate transgender people which isn't true and, B, they are afraid of the repercussions they will face if they speak publicly about this," Layon said. Online, 2,582 people registered opposition to both bills while 197 supported them. Diana George is the mother of a 23-year-old transgender man who had breast surgery at age 16. "As a registered nurse, I know that what they prescribed was evidence-based, best-practice care that is validated by every major medical association," George said. "It's chilling to think about parents like me, who only want the best care for their teenager, being criminalized." klandrigan@
