The bill seeks to prohibit licensed professionals from administering conversion therapy to minors, defined as individuals under 18 years of age. Conversion therapy is characterized as any practice aimed at changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, with exceptions for supportive practices that aid in gender transition or foster acceptance of one's identity. The bill mandates that licensed individuals, including those from the state board of healing arts, the board of nursing, and the behavioral sciences regulatory board, are barred from engaging in such practices with minors. Violations will be deemed unprofessional conduct, leading to disciplinary actions by the relevant regulatory boards. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the Kansas telemedicine act does not permit the delivery of conversion therapy to minors and updates definitions related to professional incompetency and unprofessional conduct to include this prohibition.

Furthermore, the bill amends various sections of the Kansas Statutes to refine definitions and responsibilities concerning professional licensing in the behavioral sciences. Key definitions, such as "Advertisement," "Licensee," "License," "Health care entity," and "Significant investment interest," are updated, with the term "health care" being deleted from the definition of "Significant investment interest," which now solely refers to "healthcare entity." The bill also outlines the powers and duties of the behavioral sciences regulatory board, including the authority to recommend prosecutions and enforce professional conduct regulations. It reinforces the prohibition against conversion therapy for minors and stipulates that costs incurred from adverse orders against licensees will be charged to those individuals, while the board will cover additional costs if unsuccessful in legal actions. Several inconsistent statutes are repealed, and the act will take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 40-2, 65-1120, 65-2837, 74-7507