This week, Illinois House Bill (HB) 217, a bill prohibiting the practice of so-called “conversion therapy,” was signed into law by Govern Rauner.
The “Conversion Therapy Prohibition Act” protects minors from being forced to change their sexual orientation. The greatest hurdle for this bill was making it off of the Governor’s desk in time to meet the deadline. With only a few days to spare, Governor Rauner finally sign the bill into law.
ACA has been advocating for the passage of HB 217 for the past several months. ACA CEO Richard Yep submitted written testimony for both the House and Senate Committee Hearings on the bill, however, much thanks is owed to our members who sent 79 messages to the Governor and 84 messages to state legislators.
Illinois is officially the 5th state/jurisdiction to ban the practice of “conversion therapy." ACA has been active in advocating for bans around the country, and is currently working in Massachusetts, one of the few states with a longer legislative session. The use of “conversion therapy” is known to have devastating consequences on those who are subjected to it, and its practice is in violation of the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics. View a copy of the bill here and read more about ACA’s position on "conversion therapy" here.