Pax­ton: Men­tal health providers can’t ‘tran­si­tion’ kids

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Those in the mental health field are not allowed to “transition” kids under the law, according to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

On March 2, Paxton issued a legal opinion declaring that the prohibitions under Senate Bill 14, which make it illegal for health care providers to “transition” kids, also applies to “mental health care providers” licensed by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. 

The opinion states that the Council’s licensees constitute health care providers under the law, which makes clear that they are governed by state law barring funds going to those who facilitate the prohibited “transition” procedures. 

Paxton says that licensees are defined as “health care providers” in that sense for good reason, as the path to kids being “transitioned” often starts with “unethical indoctrination” by “activists” providing mental “health care” designed to “confuse children about their gender.”

The opinion’s summary states: “Any licensee that facilitates the provision of unlawful procedures or treatments that aim to transition a child’s sex are thus forbidden from receiving public money in support of those efforts and, separately, risk revocation of their licenses to practice.”

Paxton also says that the Texas Legislature’s prohibition on those unlawfully “transitioning” our kids, which covers not only any person or entity who “provides” medical interventions, but also an individual or entity who “facilitates” medical interventions, certainly applies to licensed mental health care providers. 

“Any radical facilitating the ‘transitioning’ of our kids is committing child abuse,” said Paxton. “The law is clear that these radical procedures are illegal and in no world should Texans’ tax dollars be used to permanently harm children. This opinion should send a clear warning there will be consequences for any medical professional, whether a doctor or a therapist, who is illegally ‘transitioning’ Texas kids.”

The opinion was sought by the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council. 

Opinion No. KP-0518