Bill
HB 494
Prohibits efforts to change sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression for minors and adults with disabilities; requires affirming, evidence-based care by clinicians.
Short title: Mental Health Protection Act
Primary sponsor: Rep. Dahle
Subject: Prohibits attempts to change sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression for certain vulnerable populations
Status / procedural timeline
- Filed: November 12, 2024 (recorded filing date)
- First reading / initial chamber activity: February–March 2025 (first reading recorded; referred to committees).
- Latest procedural status provided: Passed first reading and referred to Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (March 25, 2025).
- Note: The provided excerpts show the bill as introduced and referred to committee; consult the legislature’s official bill tracking for current status and any amendments.
Purpose and intent
- The bill is intended to protect minors and adults with disabilities from “sexual orientation change efforts” (commonly called conversion or reparative therapy) and from attempts to change gender identity or gender expression.
- It frames the measure on scientific and professional consensus that sexual orientation and gender identity are not disorders and that conversion efforts pose significant mental health risks.
Key findings cited (preamble)
- The bill’s preamble cites reviews and position statements from major professional organizations — including the American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, National Association of Social Workers, American Counseling Association, American School Counselor Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry — summarizing conclusions that conversion efforts are ineffective and can cause harm (depression, suicidality, substance abuse, shame, etc.).
Core provisions (as available in provided text)
- Prohibits attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression for:
- Minors (persons under age 18) and
- Adults who have disabilities (language in the excerpts emphasizes protection of “adults who have disabilities”).
- Applies to therapeutic or counseling practices and to professionals who provide such services (text excerpts reference clinicians, therapists, and school counselors).
- Directs clinicians and school-based professionals to avoid practices intended to change orientation/identity and to follow affirming, evidence-based approaches (consistent with the cited professional guidance).
Who would be affected
- Primary beneficiaries: minors and adults with disabilities who might otherwise be subjected to conversion efforts.
- Regulated parties: mental health professionals, counselors, school counselors, and organizations that provide psychotherapy or related services to youth or adults with disabilities.
- Indirectly affected: parents/guardians, school systems, licensing boards, and insurers (depending on enforcement and coverage provisions).
Enforcement, penalties, and implementation
- The provided excerpts include the bill’s findings and objectives but are truncated before any detailed enforcement, penalty, licensing, or private-right-of-action provisions. The bill likely (but not certainly) addresses professional standards, possible disciplinary measures, and regulatory authority — consult the full bill text or committee reports for precise enforcement mechanisms and remedies.
Practical impact and considerations
- Seeks to align state policy with national clinical guidance on best practices for working with LGBTQ+ youth and vulnerable adults.
- Would limit the availability of conversion practices in clinical or school settings; could prompt updates to professional licensing board rules and training expectations.
- Fiscal impacts are not specified in the excerpts; enforcement/implementation costs would depend on how licensing/disciplinary mechanisms and any private remedies are structured.
For details
- This summary is based on the bill excerpt and legislative activity in the provided materials. For the authoritative text, amendments, voting record, and current status, consult the North Carolina General Assembly bill page for HB 494 (Mental Health Protection Act).
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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