Idaho Governor Brad Little has signed a bill into law that bans the use of Medicaid and state health insurance for sex change treatments.
The bill, House Bill 668, prohibits coverage of hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and surgical procedures for the purpose “to affirm the individual’s perception” of their sex or gender.
It also prevents government-owned facilities from offering the treatments or procedures.
The legislation had passed the Idaho House of Representatives with a 58-11 vote and the Senate with a 26-8 vote. Little signed it into the law the day after he received it.
“Hardworking taxpayers should not be forced to pay for an adult’s sex reassignment surgery,” Little wrote in a letter to Idaho’s Department of Health and Welfare in May.
The law does contain certain exceptions, including when treatment is necessary to treat infections, injuries, or disorders “caused or exacerbated by … gender transition procedures.”
There is also an exception for when a procedure is “performed in accordance with the good faith medical decision of a parent or guardian of a child or an adult born with a medically verifiable genetic disorder of sex development.”
According to a report from The Hill, “Those who intentionally violate the law could face misuse of public funds charges, which carry a penalty of up to $10,000 in fines and imprisonment between one and 14 years.”
The law will take effect on July 1.
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