ICYMI: Kansas Medical Professionals Urge Legislature to Not Ban Lifesaving Care for Trans Youth

Kansas Medical and Mental Health Professionals Oppose SB233

200 providers who practice in the state have signed on to an open letter to Kansas Legislature

KANSAS, STATEWIDE - April 22, 2024 - 200 medical providers and mental health professionals in Kansas have signed onto an open letter to the Kansas legislature warning against the adverse consequences of SB 233, which would ban and severely restrict minor transgender patients' access to care and would make punishable providers' ability to provide evidence-based care in line with best practices. The signatories are urging the legislature to sustain Governor Kelly's veto.

"SB233 will harm transgender Kansans and their families, as well as threaten mental health professionals, pharmacists, and any medical provider that receives state funding or uses a state facility or building," the letter reads. "As mental health professionals and medical providers, we have an ethical and moral responsibility to advocate for policies that promote the well-being of all individuals, regardless of their gender identity, which is why we cannot stand idly by when these laws are being presented."

SB 233 was passed by the Kansas legislature this session and vetoed by Governor Kelly earlier this month. It is expected that the Kansas legislature will bring it up for a veto override attempt later this month.

The letter can be viewed here or at https://bit.ly/KPAletter.

About the Kansas Psychological Association: Founded in 1930, the Kansas Psychological Association has a long history of service to psychologists and the public. The purpose of the Kansas Psychological Association is to advance psychology as a science, as a profession, and as a means of promoting human welfare by the encouragement of psychology in all its branches in the broadest and most liberal manner. For more information, visit https://www.kspsych.org.