Kentucky bans taxpayer funding of sex-change surgeries, restrictions on 'conversion therapy'
Kentucky bans taxpayer funding of sex-change surgeries, restrictions on 'conversion therapy'
By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter
Kentucky now prohibits the use of state and federal tax dollars to fund sex-change procedures after the state's legislature overrode a gubernatorial veto of a ban that also halts restrictions on so-called "conversion therapy."
The Republican-controlled Kentucky legislature overrode Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's gubernatorial veto of House Bill 495 last week. The Republican-controlled Kentucky House of Representatives voted 78-20 to override Beshear's veto, while the Republican-controlled Kentucky Senate voted 31-6 to override the gubernatorial veto.
In both chambers, all but one Democrat opposed the veto override, while all other votes to make the measure law over Beshear's opposition came from Republicans.
House Bill 495 prohibits the Department for Medicaid Services and any managed care contractors from spending Medicaid funds on "cross-sex hormones in amounts greater than would normally be produced endogenously in a healthy person of the same age and sex" and "Gender reassignment surgery to alter or remove physical or anatomical characteristics or features that are typical for and characteristic of a person's biological sex."
The measure declares that an executive order signed by Beshear on Sept. 18, Executive Order 2024-632, "shall be of no force or effect as of the effective date of this Act." Beshear is prohibited from issuing a new executive order designed to achieve the same purpose for the remainder of his term in office.
The executive order in question prohibits the use of state and federal tax dollars to fund so-called "conversion therapy," also known as sexual orientation change efforts.
The order defines conversion therapy as "any practice, treatment, or intervention that seeks or purports to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward individuals of the same gender." Beshear's executive order authorized any state agency that discovers mental health providers engaged in such activity to refer them to the appropriate state licensing board for disciplinary action.
The legislature's votes to override Beshear's veto came five days after he detailed his opposition to the measure in a veto message.
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