CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) | A bill that would ban child conversion therapy in West Virginia has been pulled from the schedule of a state Senate committee for possible edits.
The Journal of Martinsburg reports Senate Health and Human Resources Committee Chair Michael Maroney changed the committee agenda Jan. 29 so staff attorneys can make improvements to the bill.
Maroney was the one who introduced the bill, known as the Youth Mental Health Protection Act. The bill would protect LGBTQ children younger than 18 from conversion therapy.
Maroney says conversion therapy is opposed by numerous health organizations including the American Psychological Association and can cause mental health issues and disorders such as depression and substance abuse.
He says the bill will be reintroduced once it addresses issues surrounding clergy and out-of-state doctors.
