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STATEWIDE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Conversion Therapy Laws After
Chiles v Salazar and Beyond
Updated: May 14, 2026
The legal landscape protecting children from conversion therapy changed dramatically on March 31, 2026. This page tracks what that means for families and minors in every state, and what comes next.
Check Your State's Current Protections →
CT4F Conversion Therapy State Laws
What Happened: The Supreme Court's Ruling in Chiles v. Salazar
On March 31, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an 8-1 ruling in Chiles v. Salazar, 607 U.S. (2026). The case originated in Colorado, where a licensed professional counselor named Kaley Chiles challenged the state's 2019 Minor Conversion Therapy Law, a statute prohibiting licensed mental health professionals from subjecting minors to practices designed to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chiles argued the law violated her First Amendment right to free speech. Lower courts twice disagreed. The Supreme Court did not.
The Court determined that Colorado's ban needed to be evaluated under the highest constitutional standard: strict scrutiny. The case was sent back to the lower courts for reassessment under that elevated threshold.
The facts on these practices remain the same: every major U.S. medical and mental health authority still agrees conversion therapy is unethical, harmful, and associated with increased rates of suicidality, anxiety, and depression.
The ruling did not declare conversion therapy safe, effective, or appropriate. It did not overturn every state ban. But it opened a legal door that advocates and legal scholars say will be used aggressively in courtrooms across the country.
State-Specific Cases: Check Back for Updates
As legal challenges to state conversion therapy protections are filed in the aftermath of Chiles v. Salazar, this page will serve as a hub for tracking them. Individual state pages will be added as proceedings develop, each covering the specific law at issue, the nature of the challenge, the court handling the case, and the current status.
Colorado Update: A Legislative Response to Chiles v. Salazar (March 7, 2026)
Colorado became the first state in the country to respond to Chiles v. Salazar through legislation, and it moved fast. On May 7, 2026, the Colorado General Assembly passed House Bill 26-1322, formally titled the Civil Actions for Conversion Therapy Survivors Act. The bill now heads to Governor Jared Polis, who signed Colorado's original 2019 conversion therapy ban and is widely expected to act.
What the law does
HB26-1322 was written specifically to address the constitutional concern the Supreme Court raised in Chiles. The prior Colorado law prohibited therapists from discussing certain topics with minors, which the Court found to be viewpoint-based speech regulation. The new law does not regulate what a therapist may say. It regulates what a therapist may be steering a patient toward. Under the updated definition, conversion therapy is any treatment by a licensed mental health professional that directs a patient toward a predetermined outcome regarding their sexual orientation or gender identity. A therapist who supports open, non-coercive exploration is not affected. A therapist with a fixed destination in mind is.
The bill also removes the statute of limitations on civil claims entirely. Survivors of conversion therapy can now bring a legal action at any point in their lifetime. This provision recognizes what research and survivor testimony have consistently shown: the harm inflicted by these practices often takes years to fully surface, and the shame and psychological conditioning that follow can make it nearly impossible to come forward within a narrow legal window.
Why it matters for families
Colorado's new law is significant beyond the state's borders. It represents the first legislative template for defending minors from conversion therapy after Chiles, and legal advocates expect other states to study it closely. The Alliance Defending Freedom has signaled its intent to challenge conversion therapy protections across the country. Colorado's response demonstrates that states have meaningful tools to protect their children, even within the framework the Supreme Court laid out.
The science has not changed. Every major medical and mental health organization in the United States, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association, continues to condemn conversion therapy as harmful and ineffective. As Colorado Senate Democrats stated during the bill's passage: "For over a decade, we've known that 'conversion therapy' increases suicidality and exacerbates depression and anxiety for LGBTQ+ Coloradans."
Current status: Passed the Colorado General Assembly on May 7, 2026. Awaiting Governor Polis's signature. If signed, takes effect July 1, 2026.
For Colorado families: If you have questions about what this law means for your child's care, or how to identify whether a therapist's approach crosses into predetermined-outcome territory, visit our conversion therapy FAQ page for plain-language guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Chiles v. Salazar ruling mean conversion therapy bans are now illegal?
No. The Supreme Court's ruling did not strike down any conversion therapy ban. It ruled that Colorado's specific ban must be reviewed under a stricter legal standard and sent the case back to lower courts for that review. State bans in other states remain in effect unless and until a court strikes them down.
Which states currently ban conversion therapy for minors?
As of the Chiles ruling, more than two dozen states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws or policies limiting or prohibiting conversion therapy for minors. The legal status of those protections is now in flux. For the most current information on your state, visit our state-by-state conversion therapy laws page.
Will there be new legal challenges to state conversion therapy bans after this ruling?
Yes. Legal experts widely anticipate that the Chiles decision will prompt new First Amendment challenges to conversion therapy bans in states across the country. This page will track those proceedings as they are filed and decided.
Can conversion therapy practitioners now operate freely in states that had bans?
Not automatically. Existing bans remain in effect unless a court issues an injunction or strikes them down. However, the Chiles ruling gives legal challengers a significantly stronger argument than they previously had. Families should consult current resources and check this page for updates about their state.
Is conversion therapy still harmful even if these bans are weakened?
Yes. The legal question before the Supreme Court was about First Amendment speech protections, not about whether conversion therapy works or is safe. It does not work, and it is not safe. The medical consensus is clear, consistent, and unchanged by this ruling.