Pointing to a recent appellate-court ruling in an Alabama case, a federal judge on Monday issued an order refusing to block a new Florida law making it more difficult for transgender adults to access hormone therapy and surgeries.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued the order after indicating during a Sept. 1 hearing that he would not issue a preliminary injunction against the law, passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature this spring and championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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The law requires patients diagnosed with gender dysphoria to sign informed-consent forms crafted by state medical boards. Also under the law, only physicians — not nurse practitioners — are allowed to order hormone therapy. In addition, the law bans the use of telehealth for new prescriptions.

The law (SB 254) also barred doctors from ordering gender-affirming care for children but allowed minors already receiving such treatment to continue under certain conditions.