Assembly Bill A4958

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Designates engaging in sexual orientation change efforts by mental health care professionals upon patients under 18 years of age

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2015-A4958 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S121
Current Committee:
Senate Mental Health And Developmental Disabilities
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §§6509-d & 6531-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2013-2014: A6983, S4917
2017-2018: A3977, S263
2019-2020: A576, S1046

2015-A4958 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Designates as professional misconduct, engaging in sexual orientation change efforts by mental health care professionals upon patients under 18 years of age.

2015-A4958 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  4958

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                            February 9, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GLICK,  TITONE,  JAFFEE, O'DONNELL, BARRETT,
  ROBERTS, SKOUFIS, ZEBROWSKI, SCHIMEL, ROSENTHAL,  KAVANAGH  --  Multi-
  Sponsored by -- M. of A. COOK, HEVESI, LAVINE, RYAN, STIRPE, THIELE --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education

AN  ACT  to  amend  the education law, in relation to prohibiting mental
  health  professionals  from  engaging  in  sexual  orientation  change
  efforts  with  a patient under the age of eighteen years and expanding
  the definition of  professional  misconduct  with  respect  to  mental
  health professionals

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1.  Legislative findings and intent.  The  Legislature  hereby
finds and declares all of the following:
  a.  Being  lesbian,  gay,  bisexual  or  transgender is not a disease,
disorder, illness, deficiency, or shortcoming.  The  major  professional
associations  of  mental  health  practitioners  and  researchers in the
United States have recognized this fact for nearly 40 years.
  b. The American Psychological Association convened  a  Task  Force  on
Appropriate  Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation. The task force
conducted a systematic review of  peer-reviewed  journal  literature  on
sexual orientation change efforts, and issued a report in 2009. The task
force concluded that sexual orientation change efforts can pose critical
health  risks to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people, including
confusion, depression, guilt, helplessness, hopelessness, shame,  social
withdrawal,  suicidality, substance abuse, stress, disappointment, self-
blame, decreased self-esteem and authenticity to others, increased self-
hatred, hostility and  blame  toward  parents,  feelings  of  anger  and
betrayal,  loss  of friends and potential romantic partners, problems in
sexual and emotional  intimacy,  sexual  dysfunction,  high-risk  sexual
behaviors,  a feeling of being dehumanized and untrue to self, a loss of
faith, and a sense of having wasted time and resources.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01398-01-5
              

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