(Reuters) – Arkansas lawmakers passed a measure on Monday that could make the state the first in the country to prevent doctors from providing certain types of care to transgender youth, part of a wave of U.S legislation that would restrict transgender rights.
The Arkansas legislation threatens any healthcare professional who provides puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgery to minors with losing their medical license and opens them up to lawsuits from patients who later regret their procedures.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, a Republican, has declined to say whether he would sign the bill into law.
(Reporting by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Chris Reese and Jonathan Oatis)
