A Missoula judge concluded that a ban on gender-affirming care for youths is unconstitutional.
Republicans in the state Legislature passed the law in 2023, saying they need to protect youths from experimental treatment. It would have prohibited health care providers from prescribing medical treatments for gender dysphoria, like puberty blockers or hormone therapy.
Professional medical organizations, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, say the law goes against the widely accepted standard of care.
The law was challenged in court by two families of transgender teens and two health care providers. Missoula District Court Judge Jason Marks temporarily blocked the law before it could go into effect. The Montana Supreme Court upheld that ruling last year.
Marks struck down the law in a ruling Tuesday. He wrote the state failed to prove that gender-affirming care presents bona fide health risks that merit government regulation.
The state plans to appeal his final ruling to the Montana Supreme Court.
