Governor Noem and Colleagues Defend 'Help Not Harm' Legislation

PIERRE, SD -- On Oct 15th, Governor Kristi Noem and nine fellow governors submitted an amici curiae brief to the United States Supreme Court for the United States v. Skrmetti case. This case regards the constitutionality of a Tennessee law that, similar to South Dakota’s “Help Not Harm” law, bans harmful, irreversible medical procedures on vulnerable minors. 

“South Dakota’s kids are our future, and I will always stand up for the next generation of South Dakotans,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “The Biden-Harris Administration intervened in this case, but the federal government has no business forcing states to perform harmful, irreversible, and unscientific medical procedures on children.”

In 2023, Governor Noem signed House Bill 1080, which passed 60 to 10 in the House and 30 to 4 in the Senate. It is now codified at SDCL 34-24-33 through 34-24-38.

Governor Kristi Noem is joined on brief by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey, Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox.