The Alabama Senate has voted 23-4 in favour of a bill which will prohibit medical professionals from providing gender-affirming healthcare to young trans people.
According to CBS News, doctors who do not adhere to the so-called ‘Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act’ could face $15,000 fines.
The bill also requires school staff to disclose trans children’s gender identity to their parents, with or without the child’s consent.
Republican senator Shay Shelnutt, one of the bill’s main sponsors, insisted the regulations will protect young people, saying: “Children aren’t mature enough to make these decisions on surgeries and drugs.