ALBANY, N.Y. — A bill in the New York State Senate would allow patients to sue mental health professionals for performing therapies aiming to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The bill would allow patients to file lawsuits against professionals directly, and any person or entity that “employed, supervised, or otherwise exercised authority” over the staff member. Patients would be allowed to sue for economic damages, such as medical expenses and lost earnings, or non-economic damages, such as emotional distress.
Conversion therapy has been banned for people under 18 in New York State since 2019. The debate over conversion therapy has heated up again after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy for youth violated the free speech rights. More than 20 states have similar laws.
You can read the NYS Senate’s full bill here.
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