After a judge dismissed the American Civil Liberties Union’s challenge on Tuesday, a law in Ohio which would ban transgender treatment for children could come into effect.

Bill, passed first in December, was on hold for several months. The bill makes it illegal for health care professionals to perform or prescribe puberty blocking drugs to patients younger than 18.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed it, but lawmakers overrode his veto. The ACLU sued the state in March over the ban. This put the measure on pause while legal challenges were played out.

In his ruling, Franklin County Judge Michael Holbrook stated that the ban “reasonably restricts parents’ right to make decisions regarding their children’s health care in accordance with the deeply rooted and legitimate interest of the state in the regulation medical professions and medical treatments.”

The ACLU has announced that it will appeal Holbrook’s “disappointing ruling”, “especially given the ongoing efforts to undermine Ohio’s vulnerable population.”

The critics of the law claim that it discriminates against transgender youth and denies them access to healthcare.

Transgender athletes are also prohibited from taking part in sports organized outside their biological sex.

Sports leagues and schools that do not comply with the law risk losing funding from the state.

There are at least 25 states that have passed laws restricting transgender treatment of minors or outright banning it. However, many of these laws face legal challenges.