HB 966

            
2020 SESSION

20105304D

HOUSE BILL NO. 966


Offered January 8, 2020


Prefiled January 7, 2020

A BILL to authorize certain health regulatory boards to 
 promulgate certain regulations regarding counseling minors.
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Patron-- Walker

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Referred to Committee on Health, Welfare and Institutions

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
 
 
1. � 1. 
 The Board of Counseling, 
 the Board of Medicine, the Board of Nursing, the Board of Psychology, 
 and the Board of Social 
 Work may each promulgate regulations prohibiting the use 
 of electroshock therapy or other similar non-speech 
 therapy in the practice of counseling any person under 18 
 years of age, provided, however, that each such health regulatory 
 board, in promulgating 
 such regulations, shall protect the 
 fundamental rights of the practitioner 
 or patient protected under the United States 
 Constitution and shall not promulgate regulations that remove the fundamental 
 right of an individual to select for 
 himself, based on an informed and voluntary choice, a form of counseling that 
 involves nothing more than "talk 
 therapy," regardless of the 
 age of the individual, including 
 in situations where the patient is seeking 
 such counseling to assist him in reducing or eliminating unwanted attractions 
 or behaviors or concerns about 
 gender identity.