Portland STÖF

LB367 Protects Minors in Portland

Senator Megan Hunt: LB367 Hearing - Nebraska Must Protect Minors from Conversion Therapy

LB367 introduced by Senator Hunt is very similar to LB179 introduced by Senator Fredrickson during the 108th Legislature. The main difference is Senator's Hunt's bill includes penalties.

LB367 would handcuff people credentialled under the Medicine and Surgery Practice Act, the Mental Health Practice Act, the Nurse Practice Act, the Pharmacy Practice Act, or the Psychology Practice Act by preventing them from providing conversion therapy, gender identity conversion therapy, or sexual orientation conversion therapy to any individual under nineteen years of age.

The bill defines each individually, however, all three are in line with the following:

• ....any psychotherapy, counseling, or treatment, the goal of which is to alter the gender related identity of an individual so that such individual's gender identity, appearance, expression, or behavior is eliminated, reduced, or redirected to the individual's assigned sex at birth.

The bill's use of double negative language can muddle the message or intent of the bill, so take your time to understand it. Basically, medical providers would be unable to educate and guide children away from transgenderism and same-sex attraction.

The bill also provides for disciplinary sanctions under the Uniform Credentialling Act and prohibits state funds to be used for conducting conversion therapy, gender identity conversion therapy, or sexual orientation conversion therapy.

The only exclusion the bill has is for clergy members or religious counselors who are acting in a pastoral or religious capacity and not in the capacity of a health care professional. What about parents? Are parents exempt from this bill as well? What if one of the parents is a medical provider?