If enacted, the bill would mark a significant change in the regulation of mental health therapies offered to individuals, especially minors. It reinforces the prevailing consensus in the medical and psychological communities that attempts to change sexual orientation through therapy are harmful and ineffective. By prohibiting advertising and provision of such therapies, the bill seeks to not only safeguard individuals but also to protect families from potential exploitation by those who profit from these harmful practices.
Summary
House Bill 4340, known as the 'Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2023', aims to prohibit the practice of commercial sexual orientation conversion therapy in the United States. The bill establishes that being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or gender nonconforming is not a disorder and outlines the lack of evidence supporting conversion therapy as an effective method for changing an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill recognizes the risks associated with conversion therapy, including mental health issues such as depression, low self-esteem, and increased rates of suicide, emphasizing the need for protection against fraudulent practices in therapy.
Contention
The bill has garnered support from various advocacy groups and mental health professionals, who argue that it is a necessary measure for protecting vulnerable populations. However, it might face opposition from certain religious or conservative organizations that view conversion therapy as a valid practice. The bill's enactment could lead to debates about the rights of individuals to seek such therapies and the responsibilities of practitioners to adhere to ethical standards in therapy provision.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for schedule I research that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs or that is conducted under an investigative new drug exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.