SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — In response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down state bans on youth conversion therapy, California lawmakers are advancing new legislation aimed at preserving accountability and expanding legal remedies for survivors.
On March 31, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled against state bans on youth conversion therapy. According to a press release from the office of Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, the senator has introduced SB 934, a bill designed to protect California residents affected by conversion therapy by allowing survivors to seek civil justice through malpractice lawsuits.
The release explains that “conversion therapy” refers to efforts to suppress or change a queer individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The practice has been widely discredited and condemned by the global medical community as dangerous, harmful and ineffective.
“All major medical associations agree that no ‘therapy’ can change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity,” Wiener said.
Survivors of conversion therapy often experience lasting psychological harm, including shame, trauma and deteriorating mental health. The release cites Stanford Medical research indicating that many individuals subjected to such practices suffer long-term post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and suicidality.
“Make no mistake: Conversion therapy is psychological torture, and California will always stand strong with LGBTQ youth to protect them from the extremist movement to harm them,” Wiener said.
California became the first state in 2012 to prohibit licensed professionals from engaging in conversion therapy with minors through SB 1172, a policy later adopted by 24 other states. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling invalidates those protections nationwide.
Wiener described the high court’s decision as “horrific,” emphasizing the urgency of SB 934 and its built-in safeguards, which he said provide individuals the “right to hold charlatans accountable for this debunked torture.”
Under existing California law, individuals may sue health care providers for professional negligence, or medical malpractice. However, as Wiener’s office notes, such claims are typically constrained by a statute of limitations requiring filing either within three years of the injury or within one year of when the harm is discovered or reasonably should have been discovered.
Advocacy groups and supporters of SB 934 argue these timelines fail to account for the complexities of psychological trauma and the extended period many survivors need before recognizing and processing harm.
Tony Hoang, executive director of Equality California, said that “[s]urvivors often live with the trauma for years before they are able to name it, process it, or come forward. [SB 932] recognizes that reality and ensures survivors have the time they need to seek justice and hold those who harmed them accountable.”
Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, added that practitioners “who subject patients to these discredited practices should be held accountable—and survivors deserve their day in court.”
“For many LGBTQ+ people, the trauma experienced through these dangerous practices does not go away; it sticks with them for years, or decades. We are grateful for lawmakers’ efforts to seek justice for survivors of conversion therapy who have suffered at the hands of licensed mental health professionals… Their job is to provide help—not harm—to those in their care,” said Casey Pick, senior director of law and policy at The Trevor Project.
Wiener’s office said SB 934 would significantly expand the time frame for survivors seeking legal remedies.
The bill allows individuals who were minors at the time of the alleged malpractice to file claims at any point before turning 40. Those who were 18 or older at the time would be permitted to file within 10 years of their last conversion therapy session or within five years of discovering an injury or illness resulting from the practice.
According to the release, the bill also clarifies that plaintiffs may rely on established scientific principles and the broader medical consensus on “proper care” to establish causation in malpractice claims.
The press release emphasizes that by expanding access to civil litigation, SB 934 aims to ensure survivors of conversion therapy have a meaningful opportunity to seek redress while maintaining accountability for licensed professionals amid shifting federal legal interpretations.
As of now, SB 934 has garnered support from a wide range of civil rights organizations and advocacy groups, including Equality California, Lambda Legal, The Trevor Project, the National Center for LGBTQ Rights, Trans Family Support Services and the California LGBTQ Legislative Caucus.
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