Alabama [USA], Jun 11 (ANI): Alabama's Governor, Kay Ivey, signed a chemical castration bill into law on Monday. The bill targets those who commit a sexual offence against children under 13 years of age in the US State.

The new law requires the convict to start the medical process a month before being released from custody and continue until the court deems it unnecessary, CNN reported.

The offenders are required to pay for their own treatment. They cannot be denied parole simply due to their inability to pay.

Chemical castration is the administration of a drug to bring about a reduction in the body's production of androgens -- especially testosterone -- as per its medical definition by Merriam Webster. However, the effects can be reversed if the person stops taking the drugs.

"This bill is a step toward protecting children in Alabama," the Governor said.

The document was introduced by state Republican Representative Steve Hurst and approved by both houses of the Alabama legislature.

According to CNN, chemical castration is defined by the legislation as "the receiving of medication, including, but not limited to, medroxyprogesterone acetate treatment or its chemical equivalent, that, among other things, reduces, inhibits, or blocks the production of testosterone, hormones, or other chemicals in a person's body." (ANI)