Colorado passes new conversion therapy ban

Colorado Democrats have passed a new law designed to preserve the state’s ban on so-called “conversion therapy” after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s previous attempt to shield young people from the dangerous and discredited practice.

The Colorado General Assembly on Thursday approved HB26-1322, legislation that rewrites the state’s conversion therapy statute in direct response to the Supreme Court’s March ruling in Chiles v. Salazar. The bill now heads to Gov. Jared Polis, a gay Democrat, who is expected to sign it into law.

"The passage of HB26-1322 is a clear statement from Colorado’s Legislature that conversion therapy is dangerous and has lasting negative impacts on those who are exposed to it,” Mardi Moore, chief executive officer of Rocky Mountain Equality, told The Advocate in a statement. “This law keeps the state ban on the practice in place by complying with Chiles v. Salazar to ensure viewpoint neutrality, and gives survivors additional time to hold practitioners who did harm accountable."