Puerto Rico Gov. González-Colón signed PS 350 criminalizing gender-affirming care for people under 21

On July 16, 2025, Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón signed PS 350 into law, criminalizing hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgery for transgender people under the age of 21. The measure exposes medical providers who furnish such care to penalties of up to 15 years in prison, a $50,000 fine, and revocation of their professional licenses. It also bars the use of public funds to pay for gender-affirming care for people in that age range, making Puerto Rico one of the most restrictive jurisdictions in the United States on the issue.

Because the ban reaches people up to age 21, it applies not only to minors but also to legal adults aged 18 through 20, a scope broader than most state-level restrictions, which stop at 18. Supporters cast the law as protecting young people from irreversible procedures, while medical and LGBTQ advocacy organizations said it strips away established care, criminalizes clinicians for providing evidence-based treatment, and singles out transgender residents for punitive, unequal treatment. The measure is distinct from Puerto Rico's earlier law barring transgender people from government restrooms matching their gender identity.