Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for minors

• Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the Help Not Harm Act. The legislation banned state funding for gender-affirming care for minors and penalized healthcare providers for offering treatments like puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries.
• In her veto statement, Kelly emphasized the importance of addressing rising prices and protecting parental rights.
• Senate President Ty Masterson criticized the veto, vowing to override it.

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Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly issued her first veto of 2025 on the Help Not Harm Act. The legislation would have prevented state funds from being used for gender-affirming care for minors. The bill also would have prohibited healthcare providers from offering medical or surgical interventions, including puberty blockers and sex reassignment surgeries, for minors.

Additionally, the Help Not Harm Act would have disciplined healthcare providers who perform such treatments, including potentially revoking their medical licenses.

Kelly released a statement Tuesday night, Feb. 11, saying in part:

“Right now, the legislature should be focused on ways to help Kansans cope with rising prices. That is the most important issue for Kansans. That is where my focus is.

“Infringing on parental rights is not appropriate, nor is it a Kansas value. As I’ve said before, it is not the job of politicians to stand between a parent and a child who needs medical care of any kind. This legislation will also drive families, businesses, and healthcare workers out of our state, stifling our economy and exacerbating our workforce shortage issue.”

The Republican-controlled legislature will attempt to override the governor’s veto.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson released a statement on X, saying:

“The governor’s devotion to extreme left-wing ideology knows no bounds, vetoing a bipartisan bill that prevents the mutilation of minors. The Senate stands firmly on the side of protecting Kansas children and will swiftly override her veto before the ink from her pen is dry.”

To override the veto, the bill will need a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate. The GOP holds supermajorities in both chambers, meaning a partisan vote would be sufficient to enact the law.

Initially, the bill passed the House with a vote of 83-35 and the Senate with a vote of 32-8. This marks the third time the Republican legislature has attempted to make this bill law.