The bill, HB 379, which passed unanimously in the state Senate on Tuesday, requires convicted offenders who abused a child under the age of 13 to take drugs, such as medroxyprogesterone acetate treatment, that block the production of testosterone, as well as other naturally occurring hormones and chemicals in the body that drive libido, as a condition for parole. The offender will also be required to pay for the treatment unless they cannot afford it.
The bill still needs to be signed by Alabama Governor Kay Ivey to become law.
Alabama is not the only state to consider chemical castration for sex offenders. California passed a chemical castration bill in the 1990s for repeat child sex offenders, and a similar law exists in other states including Florida, Louisiana, Montana and Oregon.