Napoleon Harris on Civil Rights

Ban sexual orientation conversion therapy for minors

Highlights:
• Prohibits a mental health provider from engaging in "sexual orientation change efforts" with an individual under the age of 18
• Defines "sexual orientation change efforts" or "conversion therapy" as any practices or treatments that seek to change an individual's sexual orientation, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings towards individuals of the same sex
• Prohibits an individual from advertising or selling conversion therapy services in a manner that represents homosexuality as a mental illness
• Authorizes the licensing entity or disciplinary review board with competent jurisdiction to take disciplinary action against a mental health provider who violates the provisions of this bill

Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment

Vote to pass a joint resolution that ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. Highlights:
• Ratifies the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.
• Specifies that equality of rights under law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex.
• Specifies that Congress shall have the power to enforce by appropriate legislation the provisions of this article.
• Specifies that the amendment will take effect two years after the date of ratification.
• Specifies that the time limit for the Equal Rights Amendment ratification may be disregarded due to its location in the resolving clause, and not in the amendment proposed by Congress in 1978.

Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment

• The ERA was passed by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states for ratification.
• In order to be added to the Constitution, it needed approval in 38 of the 50 states by 1982.
• Only 35 states approved the amendment; Illinois did NOT ratify at that time.
• The Illinois House but not the Senate passed an ERA ratification bill in 2003, while the Senate but not the House did so in this bill in 2014.

1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of sex.
2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this article.
3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.