March 6, 2026 

Doctors for America Statement on Kansas Bill SB244

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Doctors for America is deeply disappointed by the enactment of Kansas’ new law SB244. This law both restricts access to state building bathrooms and sex-restricted areas for transgender people and prohibits transgender people from updating their government-issued identification, like driver’s licenses and birth certificates, to reflect their gender identity. It also invalidates previously updated documents for transgender Kansans. 

This policy will cause real harm to transgender and gender-diverse people. Bathroom bans on transgender people place them in a double bind. According to this new law, transgender people must now use the bathroom that matches their sex assigned at birth, putting them at risk for being outed, ostracized, and harassed in these spaces. If they use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity, they could be legally punished by this new law. Bathroom bills are supposedly enacted to preserve public safety, but there is little to no evidence to substantiate that claim. In fact, bathroom bills increase the risk of violence and harassment for not only transgender people, but also cisgender women who do not fit traditional norms of femininity. 

With regard to changing legal gender identifiers, for transgender patients, changing their driver’s license or birth certificate to reflect their gender identity is a form of social transition. Research shows that doing so improves a person’s mental health by reducing depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Current guidelines by multiple medical professional organizations support the use of multiple modes of gender transition, for its ability to promote overall wellbeing and gender congruence in transgender patients. This bill directly contradicts standard medical practice and the current evidence base proving the benefit of changing gender identifiers on legal documents. Mismatched identifiers could deter transgender people from seeking medical care, delay treatment, and force individuals into unsafe or stigmatizing situations. This can contribute to stress, mistrust of institutions, and worsened health outcomes that reinforce disparities that clinicians and public health professions are actively working to address.      

Overall, SB244 enacts real harm not only for transgender individuals, but for all Kansans for its policing of gender in the bathroom and in legal spaces. This bill also contradicts standard medical practice and the current research that shows the benefits of changing legal identifiers for transgender people. As a result, Doctors for America strongly opposes the enactment of this bill.          

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About Doctors for America:

Doctors for America (DFA) is a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 40,000 physicians and medical trainees to advocate for policies that improve the health of patients and communities. Through advocacy training and action at the state and federal levels, DFA works to expand access to affordable care, strengthen community health and prevention, and advance health justice and equity. We do not accept funding from pharmaceutical, insurance, or for-profit health care entities, ensuring our work remains fiercely independent and patient-centered. DFA puts patients over politics–and over profits. Find out more at doctorsforamerica.org and on X @drsforamerica or Bluesky drsforamerica.bsky.social.