Pierre, South Dakota - South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on Monday signed a bill banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors in the state.

South Dakota's HB 1080, known as the "Help Not Harm" bill, states, "A healthcare professional may not, for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or to validate a minor’s perception of, the minor’s sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor’s sex, knowingly."

The bill would penalize medical professionals for prescribing sex hormones and drugs to delay puberty as well as providing gender transition surgeries to patients under 18.

If a health care provider has already begun hormone or drug treatments for a trans minor, they have until December 31, 2023, to phase them out.

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There are stiff consequences for any health care provider found in violation of the law, as they would risk getting their medical license revoked or facing civil lawsuits.

"South Dakota’s kids are our future. With this legislation, we are protecting kids from harmful, permanent medical procedures," Noem said in a statement after signing the bill. "I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans."

HB 1080 is set to take effect on July 1.

LGBTQIA+ rights groups were quick to respond to the state's oppressive new law.

"This ban denies transgender and nonbinary youth crucial support and care. Even in the face of professional guidance from every major medical and mental health association in the country that supports this type of care, politicians are intruding into the private medical decisions best left to transgender young people and their families," Casey Pick, director of law and policy for The Trevor Project, told The Hill.

Others have noted that the new law could have potentially life-threatening impacts, as access to gender-affirming care has been shown to significantly reduce suicide rates among transgender and nonbinary youth.