Missouri Attorney General Announces Emergency Regulation Limiting Access to Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced on Monday that he will be implementing an emergency regulation to limit access to gender-affirming care for minors. The regulation will require an 18-month waiting period, 15 hour-long therapy sessions and treatment of any mental illnesses before Missouri doctors can provide that kind of care to transgender children.

The regulation seeks to establish “guardrails” to ensure that the patient has received a full psychological or psychiatric assessment before any gender transition interventions are performed. This assessment must consist of not fewer than 15 separate, hourly sessions over the course of not fewer than 18 months.

The regulation is in response to the GOP-led Senate’s struggle to pass a law banning gender-affirming care for minors completely. Attorney General Bailey stated that he is “dedicated to using every legal tool at my disposal to stand in the gap and protect children from being subject to inhumane science experiments.”

The regulation is expected to go into effect immediately and will be in place until the Senate is able to pass a law banning gender-affirming care for minors. It is unclear when the Senate will be able to pass such a law, but the regulation will remain in effect until then.

The regulation has been met with mixed reactions from the public. While some are in favor of the regulation as a way to protect children, others are concerned that it will limit access to necessary care for transgender minors. It remains to be seen how this regulation will affect access to gender-affirming care in Missouri.