Representative Ed Lewis - Capital Report

First Round of Legislation Signed into Law by Gov. Parson

The first set of bills signed by the Governor from this past session were signed and are set to take full effect on August 28, 2023.

Among the seven bills the Governor signed, were bills to protect women sports from someone born as a male playing in them and protecting children from having their sex changed by their parents as minors. I supported both bills and I am grateful for the Governor's signature on both bills.

Promoting Fairness for Female Student Athletes

SB 39 was passed as a means to promote fairness in competition and opportunity for our female student athletes. This new law will prohibit a private school, public school district, public charter school, or public or private institution of postsecondary education from allowing any student to compete in an athletics competition designated for the opposite sex, as determined by the student's official birth certificate. The bill clarifies that biological sex is only correctly stated on birth certificates if it was entered at or near the time of birth or modified to correct scrivener's error. The bill also makes it clear a female student may be allowed to compete in an athletics competition designated for male students if there is no such athletics competition for female students offered.

While being debated on the House floor, the bill handler stressed the need for these provisions, pointing out that a biological male has biological advantages that could prevent a truly fair competition, as they are typically larger, stronger, and faster.

Governor Mike Parson thanked the Missouri General Assembly for leading the way on this issue and commended the legislators for fighting for women across the state.

"We, along with the vast majority of the General Assembly, agree that women and girls deserve fair sports competition without intrusion from biological men," Governor Parson said. "Women and girls deserve and have fought for an equal opportunity to succeed, and with this legislation today, we stand up to the nonsense and stand with them as they take back their sport competitions. In Missouri, we support real fairness, not injustice disguised as social righteousness."

Saving Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act

SB 49 is designed with the intent of protecting Missouri’s children from unnecessary and harmful sex change drugs and surgeries. The SAFE Act would prohibit health care providers from performing gender transition surgery on young people under the age of 18. Until August 28, 2027, it would also prohibit a health care provider from prescribing or administering cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to a minor for a gender transition, unless the minor was receiving such treatment prior to August 28, 2023. A violation of the provisions would be considered unprofessional conduct and would result in the revocation of the health care provider's professional license.

Furthermore, the SAFE Act also bars MO HealthNet, Missouri's Medicaid program, from providing payment for gender transition surgeries, cross-sex hormones, or puberty-blocking drugs for the purpose of gender transition. Additionally, health care services provided to incarcerated individuals in Missouri prisons, jails, and correction centers will not include elective gender transition surgeries. These provisions ensure Missouri taxpayer dollars are not spent on elective gender transition procedures.

During floor debate, the bill handler made it clear to the colleagues in the House that the intent of this legislation was not an attack on transgender people, but rather a focused effort to make sure that children are not making decisions that would have life-altering, permanent, and irreversible effects.

"We support everyone's right to his or her own pursuit of happiness; however, we must protect children from making life-altering decisions that they could come to regret in adulthood once they have physically and emotionally matured," Governor Parson said while signing the bill. “These decisions have permanent consequences for life and should not be made by impressionable children who may be in crisis or influenced by the political persuasions of others."