Counselors May Legally Discriminate in TN
TN House Bill 1840 passed with a 68-22 vote and Senate Bill 1556 passed with a 27-5 vote. The resulting law was signed on April 27, 2016 by Governor Haslam. It amends TCA Titles 4, 49, and 63.
The essence of the new law is in opposition to the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics and allows counselors (licensed and unlicensed) to discriminate and refuse to provide services to a client whose goals, outcomes, or behavior conflicts with the sincerely held beliefs of the counselor or therapist.
The essence of the new law is in opposition to the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics and allows counselors (licensed and unlicensed) to discriminate and refuse to provide services to a client whose goals, outcomes, or behavior conflicts with the sincerely held beliefs of the counselor or therapist.