SB 71: Prohibit conversion therapy for minors by certain professionals
This bill prohibits licensed healthcare professionals from engaging in conversion therapy for minor patients. Conversion therapy is defined as the practice of seeking to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill applies to healthcare professionals including nurses, doctors, psychologists, counselors, and therapists. It does not prohibit providing acceptance, support, and understanding to patients who seek to transition or explore their identity. The bill also allows for sanctions to be imposed on healthcare professionals who fail to comply, including suspension, revocation, or refusal to issue or renew licenses or certificates of registration.
| Feb. 12, 2025 | Referred to committee: Health |
| Feb. 04, 2025 | Introduced |
As Introduced
36th General Assembly Regular Session S. B. No. 71 2025-2026
Senators Antonio, Liston
Cosponsors: Senators Craig, DeMora, Hicks-Hudson, Smith, Weinstein, Ingram
A B I L L
To enact sections 4723.95, 4731.45, 4732.34, 1
4743.11, 4757.46, and 4758.73 of the Revised 2
Code to prohibit certain licensed health care 3
professionals from engaging in conversion 4
therapy for minor patients. 5
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section 1. That sections 4723.95, 4731.45, 4732.34, 6
4743.11, 4757.46, and 4758.73 of the Revised Code be enacted to 7
read as follows: 8
Sec. 4723.95. The board of nursing shall comply with 9
section 4743.11 of the Revised Code. 10
Sec. 4731.45. The state medical board shall comply with 11
section 4743.11 of the Revised Code. 12
Sec. 4732.34. The state board of psychology shall comply 13
with section 4743.11 of the Revised Code. 14
Sec. 4743.11. (A) As used in this section: 15
(1) "Applicant" means an individual who applies for 16
licensure or registration, as applicable, to practice as a 17
S. B. No. 71 As Introduced
health care professional. 18
(2) "Conversion therapy" means the practice of seeking to 19
change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, 20
including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or 21
to reduce or eliminate sexual or romantic attractions or 22
feelings toward a person of the same gender. 23
(3) "Health care professional" means any of the following: 24
(a) An advanced practice registered nurse licensed under 25
Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code who is designated as a 26
clinical nurse specialist; 27
(b) A physician authorized to practice medicine and 28
surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery under Chapter 4731. 29
of the Revised Code; 30
(c) A psychologist licensed under Chapter 4732. of the 31
Revised Code; 32
(d) A licensed professional clinical counselor or licensed 33
professional counselor licensed under Chapter 4757. of the 34
Revised Code; 35
(e) An independent social worker, social worker, or social 36
work assistant licensed or registered under Chapter 4757. of the 37
Revised Code; 38
(f) An independent marriage and family therapist or 39
marriage and family therapist licensed under Chapter 4757. of 40
the Revised Code; 41
(g) An independent chemical dependency counselor-clinical 42
supervisor, independent chemical dependency counselor, chemical 43
dependency counselor III, or chemical dependency counselor II, 44
licensed under Chapter 4758. of the Revised Code, or a chemical 45
S. B. No. 71 As Introduced
dependency counselor assistant, prevention consultant, 46
prevention specialist I, prevention specialist assistant, or 47
registered applicant, certified under that chapter. 48
(4) "Minor" means an individual who is under eighteen 49
years of age. 50
(5) "State licensing board" means the board of nursing; 51
the state medical board; the state board of psychology; the 52
counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist 53
board; or the chemical dependency professionals board. 54
(B) An applicant or health care professional shall not 55
engage in conversion therapy when providing mental health 56
treatment to a minor patient. 57
(C) Division (B) of this section does not prohibit any of 58
the following that does not seek to change an individual's 59
sexual orientation or gender identity: 60
(1) Assisting a patient who seeks to transition, is in the 61
process of transitioning, or has transitioned from one gender to 62
another; 63
(2) Providing a patient with acceptance, support, and 64
understanding or facilitating a patient's coping, social 65
support, or identity exploration and development; 66
(3) Providing a patient with sexual orientation-neutral 67
interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe 68
sexual practices. 69
(D) A state licensing board shall impose one or more of 70
the following sanctions on an applicant or health care 71
professional for a failure to comply with this section: suspend, 72
revoke, or refuse to issue or renew the license or certificate 73
S. B. No. 71 As Introduced
of registration. 74
Sec. 4757.46. The counselor, social worker, and marriage 75
and family therapist board shall comply with section 4743.11 of 76
the Revised Code. 77
Sec. 4758.73. The chemical dependency professionals board 78
shall comply with section 4743.11 of the Revised Code. 79