Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, signed a bill on June 12 requiring health insurance companies to cover transgender surgeries, defying the national trend of Republican governors who oppose the practice.
In May, Oregon’s Democrat governor signed a virtually identical law requiring health insurance companies to cover all transgender surgeries. Lombardo’s signature on the Nevada bill follows this precedent.
A second bill Lombardo signed earlier in June mandates that the state’s Department of Corrections adopt mental and physical health standards for transgender and gender-nonconforming inmates, as well as cultural competency training for officers.
Six state legislatures with Democrat majorities, including Nevada’s, have passed bills in favor of transgender medical procedures and policies. However, Lombardo’s signature comes as Republican governors in other states have signed legislation banning transgender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors….