COLUMBUS — The Ohio House agreed to Senate changes to the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women’s Sports Act, which State Representative Angie King (R-Celina) voted in favor of Wednesday.

The legislation will now allow children that are currently taking hormone therapy treatments to continue to do so if the treatments are prescribed by an Ohio doctor. The SAFE Act now only requires the consent of one parent or guardian, reduced from requiring consent from both parents, for a child to begin mental health treatment.

No changes were made to the Save Women’s Sports Act.

State Representative Jena Powell (R-Arcanum) released the following statement upon the passage of the ‘Save Women’s Sports Act’ legislation included in House Bill 68. She said, “I am passionate about this issue because we cannot allow girls’ dreams of being a gold medal athlete to be crushed by biological males stealing their opportunities. The Save Women’s Sports Act is a fairness issue for women. This bill ensures that every little girl who works hard to make it on a podium is not robbed of her chance by a biological male competing against her in a biological female sport. We want every little girl to achieve her athletic dream here in the state of Ohio.”

Rep King added, “Sometimes we have to look beyond the legislation and see the impact it will have on Ohioans,” said King. “We comprised to get the SAFE Act to the governor and put into law, because at the end of the day this legislation will still protect Ohio’s children.”

The SAFE Act will prevent medical professionals from performing experimental medicalized treatments like surgeries, prescriptions of puberty blocking drugs and cross-sex hormones to anyone under the age of 18.

Added to the legislation during the committee process, the Save Women’s Sports Act also passed through the house as a part of the SAFE Act vote. The legislation will ensure biological males cannot compete in female-only sports in Ohio.

The legislation will now head to the governor’s office for his consideration.