Conversion Therapy Laws

Conversion therapy (also known as reparation therapy) is a collection of practices intended to change an individual’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Approximately 698,000 LGBT adults have received conversion therapy in the United States, 350,000 of whom received it as a minor, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law. Conversion therapy has been denounced by established national organizations like the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, National Association of School Psychologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics based on evidence of harm to those receiving such treatments. Conversion therapy bans forbids the practice through funding restrictions, licensing, or other means, and generally apply to minors and/or adults who lack legal competency. These bans are currently being challenged on the basis of free speech in the U.S. Supreme Court case Chiles v. Salazar.

​This longitudinal dataset comprehensively tracks state-level statutes, regulations, and executive orders that impact the provision of conversion therapy in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia in effect between January 1, 2013, and July 31, 2025. The dataset adds to the current knowledge base by tracking enforcement mechanisms, populations impacted, exemptions, and preemption. The research team relied on laws, regulations, and other policies that were systematically collected by the research team at the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), by permission. Research questions were reviewed by MAP researchers, national experts, and Center for Public Health Law Research staff.