Gender-affirming care banned for minors, first state to enact such a law
Enacted5/10
⚖ Upheld by Eighth Circuit (Aug 12, 2025); enforceable
Arkansas · Arkansas HB 1570 / Act 626 of 2021 "SAFE Act" · Apr 6, 2021
Impact 5/10
First state in the nation to ban gender-affirming medical care (puberty blockers, hormones, surgery) for transgender minors. The 8th Circuit struck the law down in 2023 as unconstitutional. Blocked by a federal injunction from 2021-2025; the Eighth Circuit reversed and upheld the ban on Aug 12, 2025, following the Supreme Court's Skrmetti decision, so it is now in effect.
LGBTQ+ChildrenTransgender / nonbinaryParents / caregivers
Sources
- Source ↗
- ACLU: Eighth Circuit upholds Arkansas’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth ↗
- ACLU: Brandt et al v. Rutledge et al (case page) ↗
✓ Verified against primary sources 2026-08-16