The Democratic-controlled Colorado House passed a bill Thursday allowing people harmed by conversion therapy to sue therapists, just days after the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the state\u2019s ban on the method.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HB26-1322 would establish a pathway for Coloradans to bring civil claims against licensed mental health professionals accused of causing harm through efforts to change a person\u2019s sexual orientation or gender identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bill also allows people to seek legal action against the entities that hired and supervised a professional who conducted conversion therapy. The bill now heads to the state Senate, which is also controlled by Democrats, for consideration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The measure could open the door to lawsuits years after therapy takes place and expose providers to significant financial liability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The legislation was advanced just days after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Colorado cannot enforce its conversion therapy ban regarding conversations between therapists and LGBTQ+ minors, arguing the law likely violates the First Amendment by allowing some viewpoints but not others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an 8-1 decision Tuesday, the court said the law favors one viewpoint by allowing therapists to affirm a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, but not help them change it if they want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matt Soper, a Republican in the Colorado House, told Fox News Digital that the new bill pushed by Democrats is a “slap in the face” to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We have a bill that\u2019s designed to be a de facto ban on conversion therapy moving forward,” Soper said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That just hits at the heartstrings of the average American, that the Supreme Court can\u2019t even have a ruling be hot off the press before you have a legislature already pushing to undo what the Supreme Court just ruled,” he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“At the bottom line, there\u2019s not even a sense of what the law is or can be from the Supreme Court when you have states that are already working really hard to undermine an 8-1 ruling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Americans don’t like it when you have a legislature immediately trying to overturn or undermine the highest court in the land before the printing has even cooled down.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sponsors of the bill in the Colorado House, Reps. Alex Valdez and Karen McCormick, released a statement following the high court\u2019s ruling, reiterating that conversion therapy is “ineffective and harmful.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In Colorado, you belong just the way you are. Now more than ever, we must protect LGBTQ+ Coloradans from the harmful practice that is conversion therapy. We vow to keep moving forward to safeguard the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado,” the lawmakers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Supreme Court\u2019s decision stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Kaley Chiles, a licensed Christian therapist, who argued her conversations with youth clients were a form of protected speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Colorado government argued the conversations amounted to professional conduct that the state was allowed to regulate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The case centered on a law Colorado passed in 2019 banning what the state government described as conversion therapy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the 2019 law required that claims against providers be filed within two years, HB26-1322 would remove time limits for legal action, and if the victim has died, their representatives could pursue damages within five years of the individual\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soper criticized the bill for lacking a cap on recoverable damages or a statute of limitations on claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“A mental health therapist could actually be liable for their entire life,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n