SB 934 — Sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts

California updates conversion-therapy ban to cover gender-identity change efforts

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 934 on September 26, 2026, as Chapter 469 of the Statutes of 2026. From January 1, 2027, it amends Business and Professions Code sections 865 to 865.2 to redefine the regulated practice as “sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts”. Licensed mental health providers may not seek, during mental health services, to direct a patient under 18 toward a predetermined sexual orientation or gender identity; doing so is unprofessional conduct subject to licensing discipline.