A bill that would make it a felony for doctors to treat transgender youth with hormonal therapy and puberty blockers was passed by the Alabama House Judiciary Committee.
It was approved with an 11-3 vote and will now be voted on by the entire House of Representatives.
The Southern Poverty Law Center released a responded to the bill with a statement.
"This legislation disregards the medical needs of transgender children and the hard choices that their families make in their best interest. It would criminalize the very doctors that so many families turn to in their times of need," said Scott McCoy, the SPLC interim deputy director of LGBTQ Rights and Special Litigation. "Transgender kids do not need politicians working against them, making life harder. We implore the Alabama legislature to reconsider and not insert themselves into the personal decisions of parents and their children."
Alabama is one of eight states where conservative lawmakers are pushing for similar legislation.
Parents of transgender teens spoke out against the bill at a hearing earlier this month.