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DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to allow Coloradans to pursue a civil cause of action for damages related to conversion therapy.
“Conversation therapy is ineffective and has dangerous repercussions, and we’re creating a clear pathway for someone who is harmed by these practices to seek justice,” said Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. “This bill is for all of the LGBTQ+ Coloradans who were told something about them that was wrong because of who they were or who they loved. With the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Colorado’s conversion therapy ban, we are committed to offering survivors of this harmful practice the protections they deserve.”
“While the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Colorado’s conversion therapy ban law is deeply harmful, we’re not giving up the fight to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ Coloradans,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “It can take years for an individual to realize that the trauma of conversion therapy has caused anxiety, depression or other long-term health impacts, but Colorado law only allows two years to file a damages claim against a provider. Our bill addresses this gap, allowing LGBTQ+ Coloradans time to heal and a fair process to hold those who have caused long-lasting impacts accountable.”
Beginning July 1, 2026, HB26-1322 would allow an individual who was subject to conversion therapy to bring a civil cause of action against certain professionals who cause damages from efforts to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. These actions could be brought only against a licensed mental health professional who engages in conversion therapy, a person or entity that employed or supervised the professional and knew or should have known of the conduct, a person who does not try to prevent or stop the professional or a person who negligently hired or supervised the professional.
Currently, Colorado law requires these claims to be filed within two years. The bill would remove this time restriction, and if the impacted individual has passed away, their representative could bring a survival action within five years of the individual’s death.
A 2024 report from the Trevor Project found that 14 percent of LGBTQ+ youth in Colorado have been threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.
In 2009, the American Psychological Association Task Force on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation concluded that conversion therapy is not likely to be successful and increases the risk of depression, suicidality and anxiety. The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and many other mental health and medical organizations believe that conversion therapy is harmful and ineffective.
In 2019, Colorado Democrats passed a law to ban state-licensed medical or mental health care providers from providing conversion therapy to minors. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled against this law yesterday, making it vitally important to create new protections for people who are injured by conversion therapy.