WASHINGTON—Montana Governor Greg Gianforte recently signed Senate Bill 99 that prohibits the medical industry from experimenting on children with life-altering drugs and procedures to treat gender dysphoria.

Jay Richards, the director of the Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family, made the following statement about Montana’s new protections for children:

“In a less troubled world, doctors wouldn’t conduct experiments on teenagers that put them on a pathway to sterilization and then tell parents that it may be their child’s only option for dealing with gender dysphoria.

“But sadly, too many medical organizations push radical gender ideology under the guise of ‘gender-affirming care’—pushing puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgical procedures on teens without any care for the lasting consequences.

“Montana has rightly put a stop to this madness and is protecting not only children from irreversible damage but also parents who are being misinformed of the alternatives to these experimental procedures. This law also protects state taxpayers from having to fund these dubious experiments.

“With schools secretly advocating radical gender ideology and transitioning children, it’s no wonder that parents and lawmakers are fighting back. Dozens of states have introduced bills to protect children from these experimental treatments, and Montana joins the brave band of states that has signed their bills into law this year. Other states and the U.S. Congress should follow suit.”

BACKGROUND: Jay Richards testified on the importance of Montana lawmakers must precisely define sex in their laws and why bills like Senate 99 were important for protecting women and children. See his testimony here.