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Oklahoma Gov. Stitt signed SB613, banning gender-affirming medical care for minors

On May 1, 2023, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed SB 613 into law, banning gender-transition surgeries, puberty-blocking medication, and hormone therapy for anyone under 18 and making a violation a felony for health care providers, alongside license revocation and civil liability. The bill carried an emergency clause and took effect immediately on signing, with a limited allowance for minors already receiving treatment to be tapered off. It passed the Oklahoma Legislature 40-8 in the Senate and 73-18 in the House.

Jurisdiction
Oklahoma
Location
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Abuses documented

Actors

On May 1, 2023, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed Senate Bill 613 into law, prohibiting health care providers from furnishing gender-transition surgeries, puberty-blocking medication, or cross-sex hormone therapy to anyone under 18 for the purpose of gender transition. A provider who violates the ban commits a felony and faces license revocation and civil liability, and the statute carried an emergency clause that made it effective immediately, with a limited window for minors already in treatment to be tapered off their medication. [1][3]

The Legislature passed SB 613 by 40-8 in the Senate and 73-18 in the House before transmitting it to the governor, who framed the bill as protecting children. Rather than regulating medical practice on terms applicable to all care, the law singles out one category of treatment sought by transgender minors and attaches felony penalties to the clinicians who provide it, disadvantaging transgender youth and their providers on the basis of a protected characteristic. [1][2]

Updates

2023-10-05 — Federal court denied a preliminary injunction, letting SB613 stay in effect [4, 5]

A federal district judge in the Northern District of Oklahoma declined to block SB 613 while a challenge by affected families (Poe v. Drummond) proceeded, allowing the ban to remain in force. The plaintiffs said they would appeal.

2025-08-06 — Tenth Circuit affirmed, upholding SB613 [6]

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed the denial of relief in Poe v. Drummond, No. 23-5110, leaving Oklahoma's ban on gender-affirming care for minors in effect.

Why we recorded this

Laws are expected to regulate medical practice on neutral terms rather than single out one group's health care for special criminal and civil jeopardy. Oklahoma enacted SB 613, which bars health professionals from providing puberty blockers, hormone therapy, or surgical care to anyone under 18 for the purpose of gender transition and exposes violators to felony liability, license revocation, and civil suits. This archive records the measure because prohibiting one category of care sought by transgender youth, and attaching felony penalties to the clinicians who provide it, disadvantages transgender minors and their providers based on a protected characteristic. [1][2]

Sources

  1. Governor Stitt Bans Gender Transition Surgeries and Hormone Therapies for Minors in Oklahoma — Office of the Governor of Oklahoma primary accessed July 17, 2026
  2. SB 613 (2023) Bill Information — Oklahoma State Legislature primary accessed July 17, 2026
  3. Oklahoma governor signs legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors — CNN secondary accessed July 17, 2026
  4. Oklahoma judge upholds Legislature's ban on gender-affirming care for minors — Oklahoma Voice secondary accessed July 17, 2026
  5. Oklahoma judge upholds gender-affirming care ban for minors, ACLU to appeal — KOSU secondary accessed July 17, 2026
  6. Poe v. Drummond, No. 23-5110 (10th Cir. 2025) — U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit (via Justia) primary accessed July 17, 2026

See also