The bill passed 33-15 in the Nebraska Legislature.
Lawmakers voted earlier this week to merge the abortion ban, which goes into effect immediately, with the transgender care ban amid angry protests from activists and legislators opposed to the bill.
While Nebraska’s unicameral legislature is technically nonpartisan, with no official parties or political affiliations included on election ballots, the GOP controls the lion’s share of the chamber and passage of the bill was expected.
The transgender care ban gives the state’s chief medical officer the authority to enact rules restricting access to gender-affirming care for children and adolescents under the age of 19.
Republicans argued that the bill’s primary purpose is to protect young children from making health care decisions they may later regret. The bill’s designation as an anti-LGBTQ measure is a mischaracterization, they said.
Earlier this week, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a similar piece of legislation, blocking transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming care as well as limiting classroom instruction on sexuality and gender identity.
Legal action in an attempt to block the transgender care ban in Nebraska is likely to occur once it’s passed, as has happened in Florida.
The 12-week abortion ban was added after a six-week ban failed to advance in the state legislature last month, failing by one vote. North Carolina passed a 12-ban earlier this week, overriding a veto from the governor.
The recent rise of 12-week bans in Republican-led states is indicative of the GOP’s efforts to appease their base while attempting to avoid inflaming other voters.
Republicans who have thrown their hats into the presidential race have similarly sought to strike a tenuous balance when it comes to abortion policy.
