Sponsors (150)
Bans paid conversion therapy and related advertising, empowers the FTC and state officials to bring civil enforcement under the FTC Act.
Official title: To prohibit commercial sexual orientation conversion therapy, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 7, 2025 by Ted Lieu · Last progress May 7, 2025
The bill strengthens protections and federal enforcement against paid conversion practices—reducing harm to LGBTQ+ people and stopping deceptive sellers—while creating legal ambiguity, compliance costs, and potential free‑speech/religious tensions that may chill some providers and businesses.
LGBTQ+ people (and their families) are protected from harmful, discredited 'conversion therapy' practices, reducing exposure to treatments that increase depression and suicide risk.
Consumers (including LGBTQ+ people and families) gain stronger enforcement tools — including FTC and DOJ authority and an expanded definition of liable 'persons' — to stop deceptive or fraudulent paid conversion services and hold commercial sellers accountable.
Supportive, identity-exploratory counseling and legitimate gender-affirming/transition care are explicitly preserved and clarified as not prohibited, helping maintain access to appropriate mental-health and medical care.
Healthcare providers, faith-based counselors, and some nonprofits may face legal risk or a chilling effect — fearing liability for ambiguous cases — which could deter lawful, supportive counseling or limit services.
Clinicians, schools, and small businesses that offer counseling-related services or tools could incur enforcement exposures, civil penalties, and compliance or training costs if practices are deemed prohibited, reducing revenue or program availability.
Prohibiting or limiting paid speech, materials, or products 'integral' to counseling raises likely First Amendment legal challenges and uncertainty for vendors and practitioners about what speech or materials are permitted.
Based on analysis of 5 sections of legislative text.
Prohibits paid "conversion therapy" practices that attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity, bans advertising claims that such treatments work or are safe, and empowers the Federal Trade Commission and state law enforcement to pursue civil enforcement. Defines covered terms, exempts services that provide support or gender-affirming care, and includes a severability clause. The bill treats these acts as unfair or deceptive practices under the FTC Act, authorizes the FTC to write and enforce rules and seek civil penalties, and preserves state attorneys general and certain state civil actions while setting notice and intervention rules for state suits.