SB10 Alabama 2021 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

High Interest

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Shay ShelnuttSenator
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2021
Title: Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, prohibits gender change therapy for minors, prohibits withholding of certain related information from parents
Summary: SB10 would ban most gender-affirming medical care for minors, require schools to inform parents about a student’s gender concerns, and impose criminal penalties for violations.
What This Bill Does
It prohibits medical procedures or prescriptions for minors intended to alter a minor's appearance of gender or delay puberty, with limited medical exceptions. It bans puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone treatments, sterilizing surgeries, and genital reconstruction surgeries for minors, except in narrowly defined disorders of sex development. It requires schools to disclose information about a minor's gender or sex perception to parents and prohibits staff from withholding such information. Violations would be crimes (Class C felony), and the act becomes effective 30 days after the governor signs it; the bill also notes it does not create a new standard of care and is exempt from certain local-funding requirements because it creates a new crime.

Who It Affects
Minors under 18 who could be affected by restrictions on puberty-delaying medications, hormone therapies, and surgeries (with limited exceptions for certain medical conditions).
Parents or guardians and school staff, who would receive information about a minor's gender perceptions from schools and who must not withhold such information.

Key Provisions
Prohibits prescribing, dispensing, administering, or supplying puberty-blocking medication to stop or delay puberty for a minor, when aimed at altering gender appearance or the minor's gender perception.
Prohibits supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or other androgens for females and supraphysiologic doses of estrogen for males.
Prohibits sterilizing surgeries and surgeries that create genital tissue appearance different from the individual's sex (e.g., metoidioplasty, phalloplasty, vaginoplasty), and prohibits removal of healthy tissue.
Provides a narrow exception for procedures related to medically verifiable disorders of sex development (DSD) as defined (e.g., certain ambiguous sex characteristics).
Violations are Class C felonies.
Requires schools to disclose information to a minor's parent or guardian about the minor's gender/sex perception and prohibits withholding such information.
States that the act does not establish a new standard of care for hospitals or physicians and does not amend existing medical liability laws.
Acknowledges severability and public funding considerations, clarifying the bill creates a new crime and, therefore, is exempt from certain local-funding constraints.
Effective date is 30 days after the governor signs the bill.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Public Health Department