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GA HB716
Bill
Status
Introduced
12/11/2015
Primary Sponsor
Keisha Waites
Click for details
AI Summary
- Licensed mental health professionals in Georgia — including psychiatrists, psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and trainees in those fields — would be prohibited from performing sexual orientation change efforts (conversion therapy) on persons under 18 years of age
- "Sexual orientation change efforts" is defined as practices seeking to change a person's sexual orientation, behavior, gender identity, or gender expression, or to reduce or eliminate same-gender attractions or feelings
- The prohibition explicitly excludes counseling for gender transition and counseling that provides acceptance, support, identity exploration, and coping assistance without seeking to change sexual orientation
- The bill adds a new Chapter 6 to Title 39 (Minors) of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, citing extensive legislative findings from major medical and mental health organizations — including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and others — that conversion therapy is ineffective, potentially harmful, and not supported by scientific evidence
- Legislative findings cite research showing LGB youth who experience family rejection during adolescence are 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs compared to peers with low or no family rejection
Legislative Description
Professional counseling; person shall not engage in sexual orientation change efforts with a person under 18 years of age; provide
Last Action
House Second Readers
1/27/2016
Full Bill Text
No bill text available