Bill Haslam, the Republican governor of Tennessee, has announced on Wednesday signing a bill that allows mental health counselors to refuse treating patients based on religious belief. With signing the bill, it has turned into a law.
Governor Bill Haslam observes in an interview over telephone that mental health counselors reserve the right whether their goals match with personal beliefs of the clients. Unlike doctors, lawyers or other professionals, they also deserve the right that somebody else may better serve them, reports The Washington Post, quoting the governor. However, The Washington Post named Associated Press as the conductor of the telephonic interview.
House Bill 1840 or Senate Bill 1556 replaces its earlier version that has been phrased as 'sincerely held religious beliefs' instead. According to the bill turned law, mental health counselors cannot be sued or charged with a crime or penalized for their refusal for such conducts.
However, the counselors are bound to refer the client to another counselor or therapist. Even their freedom for refusal or referral won't be applicable for the patients at risk of imminent harm, according to a report published in The Atlantic. The American Counseling Association (ACA) has termed the legislation an unprecedented on the counseling profession. The association also accused Tennessee for becoming the first state to ever pass such a law. Criticizers observe the bill as part of a wave of bills looming over the nation legalizing discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) people. But some supports the bill arguing that it protects the rights of therapists while allowing them to refer patients to more appropriate counselors, reports New York Daily News. Tennessee governor defends his decision for signing the bill arguing that an update to ACA's 2014 ethics code has taken away therapists' ability for making decision on personal beliefs. He has also pointed the exclusions of the bill which have been introduced to safeguard the patients from imminent danger of getting harmed. The governor as well as sponsor of the bill also reminds that it restores what counselors have enjoyed prior to ethics code updating by ACA. LGBT rights organizations have also criticized the measure since their community people may be denied counseling and therapy using the legal loophole. Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has raised similar concern in February arguing that the law will negatively impact LGBT people in Tennessee. HRC cites the example of those living in 63 areas in the state that are currently underserved by the mental health providers.
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