Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday signed a law banning medical care for transgender minors, further expanding restrictions on access to treatment for these young people in the United States, AFP reports.

Greg Abbott thus joins the position already taken by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, also a Republican, who passed similar legislation in May.

Texas and Florida are the second and third most populous states in the United States.

The Texas law prohibits health care providers from prescribing hormone-blocking drugs or performing sex-reassignment surgery on anyone under the age of 18.

It will enter into force on September 1. The legislation provides an exception for minors who are already receiving hormone-blocking drugs or hormone therapy.

However, in such cases, the drug should be gradually discontinued over a period of time.

Democrats have complained that it violates basic rights, and on Friday the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas announced it had filed a lawsuit against the new law.

“Governor Abbott can’t stop the growth of trans youth in Texas, and we’re going to sue him to make sure he doesn’t,” the organization tweeted.

About ten US states, led by Republicans, have decided to introduce restrictions on transgender minors.

In March, Democratic President Joe Biden said such “attacks” on transgender rights were “un-American and must stop.”