The governor also signed a bill allowing parents to opt their child out of instruction related to sex and gender.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu on July 19 signed three bills and vetoed one that affect how schools, businesses, and medical establishments should consider transgender-related issues.
The three approved bills keep girls’ sports exclusive to girls, bar those under 18 from receiving “genital gender reassignment surgery,” and give parents more control over how, if at all, their children are taught about sex and gender at school.
The Republican governor said the measures “reflect commonsense, bipartisan solutions that reflect the values of parents across our state.” The Democrat minority in the state Legislature described the new laws as an attempt to curtail transgender people’s rights.
School Sports
The first bill, House Bill 1205, requires sports teams in middle and high schools to be separated based on sex.
The new law, which takes effect Aug. 19, prohibits males from participating on female teams. Students will have to verify their sex by providing the school with a birth certificate or other evidence that demonstrates their sex at birth.
Opponents argued that the measure would deny sports participation from transgender students, many of whom would not feel comfortable playing on teams that don’t align with their preferred gender. But Mr. Sununu and the bill’s supporters said policies must prioritize fairness over inclusion, noting that male players generally hold a physical advantage over their female competitors.
“HB 1205 ensures fairness and safety in women’s sports by maintaining integrity and competitive balance in athletic competitions,” the governor said in a statement.
Gender Surgeries
A second bill, House Bill 619, bans any physician from performing any “genital gender reassignment surgery” on patients under 18.
“A patient’s informed consent requires adequate information, capacity to decide, and absence of coercion,” it declares, adding that a lack of adequate information and a high risk of parental coercion prevent children to provide informed consent on medical procedures that they might regret later in life.
Doctors caught performing those permanent surgeries for minors or making referrals to facilities out of state would face disciplinary action before their licensing board. The law also allows the minor patient or their parent to sue the doctor who carried out such a surgery up to two years after the procedure.
By Bill Pan
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