US EditionTexas attorney general: ‘Illegal’ for mental health providers to ‘transition’ kids in state
Texas AG Ken Paxton's opinion classifies affirming therapists as facilitators of illegal treatment, risking license loss and criminal penalties under Senate Bill 14.
- On Monday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a legal opinion that mental‑health providers licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council fall under S.B. 14, making them subject to its restrictions.
- Facing a law that bans certain surgeries and prescriptions, the council sought legal guidance after noting procedures fall outside mental‑health scope, prompting Paxton's response.
- Citing subsection 161.701, Paxton's memo ties mental health practice to statutory duties, reaffirming that those who 'facilitate' transitions could be engaged in 'child abuse,' as he stated.
- Under Texas law, the attorney general may enforce S.B. 14, potentially triggering probes of families and requiring licensed mental‑health professionals to report colleagues or parents, with criminal penalties for failure.
- Advocates warn the opinion could drive therapists away, worsen access to safe care for transgender youth, and a peer-reviewed study found it doubles suicide attempt risks in the past year.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Texas Therapists Will No Longer Get Away With Pushing Kids Toward Sex Changes
Psychologists, counselors, and social workers in Texas can be penalized just like doctors for helping facilitate children’s sex changes, according to an opinion clarifying the state’s ban on sex-rejecting interventions.The Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council (TBHEC) asked Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton if mental health providers met the criteria of “health care provider” described in the state’s child sex-rejection ban, S.B. 14, su…
Paxton Opinion Targets Therapists Behind Child ‘Psychological Transitioning’
Psychiatric providers who help facilitate prohibited treatments may be barred from receiving public funds and could risk losing their licenses. The post Paxton Opinion Targets Therapists Behind Child ‘Psychological Transitioning’ appeared first on Texas Scorecard.
Texas AG Issues Opinion Making It Illegal for Mental Health Providers to ‘Transition’ Children
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued a legal opinion on March 2 that says it is illegal for state-licensed mental health care providers to “transition” children. Texas passed Senate Bill 14 in 2023, which banned using “gender-affirming care” procedures such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries to treat gender dysphoria in minors. In Paxton’s opinion, he writes that since SB 14 made it illegal for health care providers to “tran…
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