Missouri ends rule limiting transgender care for minors, some adults

Missouri abruptly ended an emergency rule Tuesday that would have limited gender-affirming care for minors and some adults in the state.

The termination of the rule was posted on the Missouri Secretary of State’s website, with a message that read: “This emergency rule terminated effective May 16, 2023.”

The rule, handed down by state Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R), would have required minors and adults to undergo more than a year of therapy and reach other requirements before being allowed to receive access to gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers, surgeries and hormones.

There was no immediate indication of why the emergency rule was terminated. The Hill has reached out to the Missouri secretary of state for comment.

The move to end the rule comes after lawmakers in Missouri passed a bill last week that would ban minors getting such care in the state. Gov. Mike Parson (R) is expected to sign the bill into law. The legislature also approved a bill that would ban trans athletes from competing on female sports teams, outlawing it in both public and private schools.

The proposed restrictions on trans health care in Missouri follow a national trend of similar bans in Republican-led states. At least 14 states have full or partial bans on gender-affirming care for trans minors, according to an ABC analysis. There are 18 states that have no bans or have protections for trans patients.