CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 156-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 270

S.D. 1

H.D. 2

C.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sirs:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 270, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MINORS,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Prohibit persons who are licensed to provide professional counseling in the State from engaging in, attempting to engage in, or advertising the offering of sexual orientation change efforts on minors; and

(2) Establish the Sexual Orientation Counseling Task Force to address the concerns of minors seeking counseling on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, and related behavior.

Your Committee on Conference finds that according to the American Psychological Association, sexual orientation change efforts, also known as conversion therapy, tend to do more harm than good. Participants in sexual orientation change efforts report many negative consequences from these interventions, including anger, anxiety, depression, guilt, hopelessness, loss of social support, relationship problems with significant others and families, social isolation, suicidal thoughts, self-hatred, and sexual dysfunction. Your Committee on Conference further finds that all the leading professional organizations involved in the treatment of children have issued statements opposing sexual orientation change efforts, including the American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, and National Association of Social Workers.

Your Committee on Conference additionally finds that this measure prohibits specific state-licensed persons who are licensed to provide professional counseling from engaging in, attempting to engage in, or advertising sexual orientation change efforts on minors. In doing so, this measure regulates the conduct of state-licensed persons who provide professional counseling to minors under the age of eighteen, similar to existing consumer protection laws designed to protect the public against ineffective and unsafe treatment by Hawaii-licensed professionals. This measure also establishes the Sexual Orientation Counseling Task Force to address the concerns of minors seeking counseling on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, and related behavior.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting a purpose section;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2018; and

(3) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 270, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 270, S.D. 1, H.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ ROY M. TAKUMI Co-Chair	____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER Chair
____________________________ SCOTT Y. NISHIMOTO Co-Chair
____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE Co-Chair