Information

The Arkansas Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act is a law that bans gender-affirming care to transgender youth (under 18 years old). It was passed on April 6, 2021 when the Arkansas state legislature overrode Governor Hutchinson's veto, and will take effect in summer 2021.

SECTION 1

This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act".

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SECTION 2

The finalized bill starts off with a few statistics:

• A small percentage of Americans have trouble identifying as their biological sex,

• the majority of children with gender identity-related distress eventually come to identify with their biological sex later in life,

• individuals with gender identity-related distress often have a mental disorder,

• among people who have undergone gender reassignment procedures, mental disorders and suicide and mortality rates stay "markedly elevated" compared to the average population,

• and puberty-blocking drugs or cross-sex hormones are being provided despite the lack of scientific studies on the topic.

Temporary or long-term risks of cross-sex hormones are listed next, in which conditions such as severe liver disfunction for biological females and thromboembolic disease for males are included.

SECTION 2 ends with the following statement: "The risks of gender transition procedures far outweigh any benefit at this stage of clinical study on these procedures."

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Throughout SECTION 2 and SECTION 3, the bill defines phrases and words used for clarification, including specifications as to what is and is not embodied in “gender reassignment procedures."

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SECTION 3 and SECTION 4

Sections 3 and 4 contain four main points:

• Physicians are prohibited from providing gender transition procedures or referring a client to another healthcare professional to that service to anyone under 18 years of age.

• If a physician does or is involved in the acts mentioned above, they are subject to discipline by an appropriate licensing entity or disciplinary review board with competent jurisdiction in Arkansas.

• Public funds are prohibited from being provided to anybody or organization that provides these services to people younger than 18 years old, including any insurance coverage in Arkansas or coverage to be provided from the Arkansas Medicaid Program.

• Any health benefit plans under an insurance policy or other plan providing healthcare coverage in Arkansas will not include reimbursement for gender transition procedures for people younger than 18 years old.