Ohio Gov. DeWine signs executive order banning gender transition surgeries for minors
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces rules he plans to file for public comment on transgender care for minors and adults following his veto on House Bill 68.
House Bill 68 would have banned gender-affirming care for minors and prevented people born male from participating in girls' and women's sports.
"I believe the parents, not the government, should be making these crucial decisions for their children," DeWine said Friday.
He said with the Ohio Department of Health and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, they will be filing rules for public comment aiming to provide protection for children and adults receiving trans health care in hospitals and clinics.
The rules being filed include a requirement of a multi-disciplinary team to support individuals through care, including an endocrinologist and psychiatrist.
The rules would also require a comprehensive care plan requirement that includes consent from patients and parents of risk associated with treatment as well as mental health counseling prior to being considered for other treatment.
"It's clear that the most important part of mental health counseling," DeWine said.
The rules filed will also require providers to give aggregate data once effective while keeping patients anonymous.
DeWine also announced he has signed an executive order, enacting emergency rules that ban gender transition surgeries for minors at any hospital and ambulatory surgical facility in Ohio. The ban is effective immediately.
Ohio's House lawmakers will return to work Wednesday to kick off the 2024 session.
The session was just formally decided, and we're told a top priority for House Republicans is overriding DeWine's veto on House Bill 68.
Republican statehouse lawmakers say they're determined to undo the veto. We're told the House has enough support to override the veto and send it to the state Senate for approval.
"That's fine, they have a constitutional right to do that," DeWine said Friday.