New Tennessee Law Protects Conscience Rights for Counselors

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill into law that allows counselors to run their practices in line with their principles and beliefs.

Dozens of counselors voiced concern two years ago when the American Counseling Association changed its code of ethics. That code now states that counselors cannot turn away clients based on their personal beliefs and behaviors.

But the bill's sponsor says counselors should be able to run their practices according to their conscience.

"Our concern should be to get the people the help they need, not forcing professionals to provide help when they're not best able to do so," Republican state Sen. Jack Johnson said.

The ACA contends that Tennessee's new law codifies discrimination against LGBT individuals.

But Johnson says it simply extends the same privilege to counselors that doctors and lawyers already have: the ability to refer a client to another professional.

"That's what they had to do prior to 2014," Johnson said. "And keep in mind: no one, including the American Counseling Association, has been able to show that anyone was harmed by it."

Gov. Bill Haslam said the decision by the ACA to update its 2014 ethics code took away therapists' ability to make decisions based on their values.

"As a professional I should have the right to decide if my clients end goals don't match with my beliefs - I should have the right to say somebody else can better serve them," Gov. Haslam said.

"Lawyers can do that, doctors can do that. Why would we take this one class of professionals and say you can't do that?" he added.

The director of governmental affairs for the ACA says they will fight to overturn the law.