On Tuesday, May 13th, 2025, a Montana judge permanently struck down SB99, which was a ban on transgender youth care. The Fourth Judicial District judge ruled that SB 99 is unconstitutional under the Montana State Constitution.
This is great news for Montana youth and families! Care for transgender youth is no longer under the shadow of an ongoing lawsuit in Montana. We proudly serve both youth and adults in Montana.
Congratulations Montana!
History of Montana’s SB99:
SB 99 was passed by the Montana state legislature in April, 2023 and signed into law. The law banned gender affirming care for youth, restricted public funds from being used for treating minors with gender dysphoria, and created penalties for clinicians who provided care.
A lawsuit was filed in May 2023.
In September 2024, an injunction halting enforcement of the law was ordered.
In December 2024, the Montana Supreme court upheld the injunction.
On May 13, 2025, the law was permanently blocked.
From the ACLU’s Press Release on May 13, 2025:
(Missoula, Mont.) — Today, a Montana Court struck down SB 99, a 2023 Montana law that categorically bans often life-saving health care for transgender youth. The Court granted Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment in Cross v. Montana, holding that SB 99 violates the constitutional rights of transgender youth who are seeking gender-affirming care and the healthcare professionals who are providing that care.
The lawsuit challenging SB 99 was brought by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the ACLU of Montana. This ruling removes completely the threat hanging over Montana transgender youth and their families that their access to critical medical care would be terminated.
“I will never understand why my representatives worked so hard to strip me of my rights and the rights of other transgender kids,” said Phoebe Cross, a 17-year-old transgender boy. “It’s great that the courts, including the Montana Supreme Court, have seen this law for what it was, discriminatory, and today have thrown it out for good. Just living as a trans teenager is difficult enough, the last thing me and my peers need is to have our rights taken away.”
“Today, the court saw through the state’s vitriol and hollow justifications and put the final nail in the coffin of this cruel, and discriminatory, law,” said Lambda Legal Staff Attorney Nora Huppert. “No parent should ever be forced to deny their child access to the safe and effective care that could relieve their suffering and provide them a future. Because Montana’s Constitution protects their right to privacy, transgender youth in Montana can sleep easier tonight knowing that they can continue to thrive.”
History of Montana’s SB99
- Congratulations, and Thank You, MONTANA – SB 99 Block Upheld!
- 9/27 – Montana’s Ban On Youth Care SB99 Enjoined!
- Fight Back in Montana: Say No To SB 99
- More Good News In Montana: Ban On Gender Marker Changes Enjoined! (December 16, 2024):
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We’re gonna keep saying it: Bans Are Unconstitutional!
