Shield Laws & Youth Care Bans
Transgender people’s access to best-practice health care—sometimes also called gender-affirming care—is increasingly under attack. In response, a growing number of states are taking action to protect access to this medically necessary health care. These “shield” or “refuge” laws can vary from one state to the next, but their primary goal is to protect transgender people, their families, and their medical providers against these ongoing attacks and to protect access to transgender-related health care. For example, if a person travels from a state where transgender healthcare is banned and receives that care in another state, a “shield” law can protect the recipient and/or provider of that healthcare against civil or criminal charges from the state where healthcare is banned.
*Notes (and see the “Citations” tab or click “Citations & More Information” below the map legend for more information about every state):
–Arizona banned surgical care for transgender minors in 2022, but in 2023 a new governor issued an executive order with “shield” style protections for transgender health care that is still legal in the state. Go to the transgender healthcare “shield” Equality Map to learn more about these laws.
Bans Permanently Blocked
The following laws are permanently blocked from being enforced, though appeals may be ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally.
-Montana: In May 2025, a judge blocked the state’s ban, ruling it unconstitutional, though the state may yet appeal. The 2025 block builds on an earlier temporary block issued in September 2023..
Bans Temporarily Blocked (In Full or In Part)
The following laws are at least partially blocked from being enforced, though these court cases are still ongoing. Transgender youth should still be able to access care legally to the extent each of these blocks allow.
-None at this time, though Montana are blocked as noted above.
Bans Not Yet in Effect (In Full or In Part)
-None at this time, though Montana are blocked as noted above.
Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. 2026. “Equality Maps: Transgender Healthcare ‘Shield’ Laws.” www.mapresearch.org/equality-map/transgender-healthcare-shield-laws/. Data as of June 12, 2026.
Percent of Transgender Youth Covered by Laws
*Note: These percentages reflect estimates of the transgender youth (ages 13-17) population living in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Estimates of transgender youth in the U.S. territories or under age 13 are not available, and so cannot be reflected here. Population estimates are from The Williams Institute.
