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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A bill to ban conversion therapy in Kentucky was filed Tuesday.

State Rep. Lisa Willner (D-Louisville) introduced House Bill 162, which would prohibit all licensed mental health providers from engaging in any practices that purport to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity. 

LGBTQ rights advocates have decried the scientifically discredited practice of trying to "convert" LGBTQ people to heterosexuality and traditional gender expectations as harmful, citing research suggesting the practice can increase the risk of suicide and depression.

"I’m grateful for the broad and diverse coalition that has come together to call for an end to the too-often deadly practice of conversion ‘therapy,'" Willner said. "A license to provide mental health services ought to be, at the bare minimum, a guarantee to the public that the provider is not engaging in discredited and dangerous practices." 

The Youth Mental Health Protection Act was co-sponsored by Rep. Killian Timoney (R-Lexington). The bill also would prohibit any agency that provides conversion therapy practices or refers minors to them from receiving state funding.

At least 20 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed conversion therapy for minors, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a pro-LGBTQ rights think tank.

Download PDF House Bill 162

A 2021 national survey by the Trevor Project reported LGBTQ+ who underwent conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to having attempted suicide and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year. Last year, JAMA Pediatrics research reported conversion therapy practices on LGBTQ youth and its associated effects cost the U.S. an estimated $9.23 billion. 

Republican lawmakers in at least 11 states have already introduced legislation to restrict access to transgender health care. Conservatives also have pushed to restrict conversations about sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

In 2020, Louisville officially banned conversion therapy on minors. Former Mayor Greg Fischer signed an ordinance after it passed Metro Council with a 24-1 vote. 

Copyright 2023 WDRB Media. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.