California became the first sanctuary state in the country to allow children to undergo procedures related to modifying their gender on Jan. 1, adopting a stance that is vastly controversial, in contrast to some Republican-led states that have begun cracking down on invasive medical intervention for transgender-identifying kids.
SB 107 was signed into law by Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom in September, 2022. It came into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. The policy allows for providing drugs and gender-related surgery services or “gender-affirming care” to kids, including those from states where such treatments have been criminalized or restricted. It prohibits state courts from interfering in child custody battles over these treatments.
