Senator introduces bill to ban sexual orientation conversion therapy in Nevada

Sen. David Parks, D-Las Vegas, makes an inquiry during a Senate Government Affairs Committee meeting on the third day of the Nevada Legislative session on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, at the Legislative Building, in Carson City. (Benjamin Hager/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @benjaminhphoto

CARSON CITY — A bill to prohibit sexual orientation conversion therapy on youth was introduced Wednesday in the Nevada Senate.

Sponsored by state Sen. David Parks and others, Senate Bill 201 would prohibit psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed marriage and family therapists, nurses, and social workers from providing sexual orientation or gender identity conversion therapy to a person who is under 18 years of age.

A similar bill introduced in the 2015 Legislature passed the Senate but failed to get out of the Assembly.

According to Movement Advancement Project, a think tank focusing on issuing affecting LGBT people, five states and the District of Columbia have laws prohibiting therapy that attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation.

SB201 was referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Labor and Energy.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.