2016-4018 Ordinance 2016-4018
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA
AMENDING CHAPTER 70 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, ENTITLED "MISCELLANEOUS
OFFENSES," BY CREATING ARTICLE VII, TO BE
ENTITLED "SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER
IDENTITY CHANGE EFFORTS," TO PROHIBIT LICENSED
PROFESSIONALS FROM ENGAGING IN COUNSELING
EFFORTS, PRACTICES, OR TREATMENTS WITH THE
GOAL TO CHANGE A MINOR'S SEXUAL ORIENTATION
OR GENDER IDENTITY; PROVIDING FOR REPEALER,
SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE
DATE.
WHEREAS, the American Psychiatric Association published a position statement
in December 1998 opposing any psychiatric treatment, including reparative or
conversion therapy, which therapy regime is based upon the assumption that
homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or that a patient should change his or her
homosexual orientation; and
WHEREAS, the American Psychological Association's Task Force on
Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation ("APA Task Force")
concluded that sexual orientation change efforts can pose critical health risks to lesbian,
gay, and bisexual people, including, among other things, confusion, depression, social
withdrawal, suicidality, substance abuse, self-hatred, high-risk sexual behavior, and a
feeling of being dehumanized; and
WHEREAS, following the report issued by the APA Task Force, the American
Psychological Association issued a resolution in 2009 on Appropriate Affirmative
Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts, advising parents,
guardians, young people, and their families to avoid sexual orientation change efforts
that portray homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental disorder and
encouraging psychotherapy, social support, and educational services that provide
accurate information on sexual orientation and sexuality, increased family and school
support, and reduced rejection of sexual minority youth; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
published a statement in 2012 in its journal that, "[g]iven that there is no evidence that
efforts to alter sexual orientation are effective, beneficial or necessary, and the
possibility that they carry the risk of significant harm, such interventions are
contraindicated"; and
WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical
Association Council of Scientific Affairs, the National Association of Social Workers, the
American Counseling Association Governing Council, the American School Counselor
Association, and the American Psychoanalytic Association have each asserted in
reports or position statements that sexual orientation change efforts, including
reparative therapy or conversion therapy, are not recommended and may be harmful;
and
WHEREAS, the Pan American Health Organization issued a statement in 2012
that "[t]hese supposed conversion therapies constitute a violation of the ethical
principles of health care and violate human rights that are protected by international and
regional agreements"; and
WHEREAS, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of
the United States Department of Health and Human Services issued a report in 2015
examining the scientific literature on conversion therapy and concluded that "conversion
therapy—efforts to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity or gender
expression—is a practice that is not supported by credible evidence" and that "may put
young people at risk of serious harm"; and
WHEREAS, the City of Miami Beach ("City") has a compelling interest in
protecting the physical and psychological well-being of minors, including lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and questioning youth, and in protecting its minors against
exposure to serious harms caused by sexual orientation and gender identity change
efforts; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission hereby finds that being lesbian, gay, bisexual,
or transgender is not a disease, disorder, illness, deficiency, or shortcoming, and that
research has demonstrated sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts can
pose critical health risks to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender persons; and
WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Miami Beach City Commission to prohibit,
within the geographic boundaries of the City, the use of sexual orientation or gender
identity change efforts with minors, including reparative and conversion therapy, which
have been demonstrated to be harmful to the physical and psychological well-being of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
Section 1. That Chapter 70 of the Miami Beach Code is hereby amended to
create Article VII as follows:
CHAPTER 70
MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES
ARTICLE VII. Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity Change Efforts
Sec. 70-405. Definitions.
The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this Article, shall have
the meanings ascribed to them in this Article, except when the context clearly indicates
a different meaning:
Conversion therapy means any counseling, practice, or treatment performed with
the goal of changing a person's sexual orientation or gender identity including,
but not limited to, efforts to change behaviors, gender expression, or to reduce or
eliminate sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward a person of the same
gender. Conversion therapy does not include counseling that:
al Provides support to a person undergoing gender transition; or
Provides acceptance, support, and understanding of a person or facilitates
a person's coping, social support, and identity exploration and
development, including sexual orientation-neutral interventions to prevent
or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices, if such counseling
is not conducted with the goal of changing the person's sexual orientation
or gender identity.
Minor means a person less than eighteen (18) years of age.
Reparative therapy has the same meaning as conversion therapy defined in this
section.
•
Sec. 70-406. Conversion therapy prohibited.
A person who is licensed by the State of Florida to provide professional
counseling, or who performs counseling as part of his or her professional training
under Chapters 458, 459, 490, or 491 of the Florida Statutes, as such chapters
may be amended, including, but not limited to, medical practitioners, osteopathic
practitioners, psychologists, psychotherapists, social workers, marriage and
family therapists, and licensed counselors, may not engage in conversion or
reparative therapy with a minor.
Sec. 70-407. Enforcement; penalties.
A violation of Section 70-406 shall be enforced pursuant to the procedures set
forth in Chapter 30 of this Code. The penalty for a violation shall be $200.00. Each day
that a violation occurs constitutes a separate offense.
SECTION 1. REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
SECTION 2. SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, clause or provision of this Ordinance is held invalid,
the remainder shall not be affected by such invalidity.
SECTION 3. CODIFICATION.
It is the intention of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach,
and it is hereby ordained that the provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be
made a part of the Code of the City of Miami Beach, Florida. The sections of this
Ordinance may be renumbered or re-lettered to accomplish such intention, and the
word "ordinance" may be changed to "section," "article," or other appropriate word.
SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Ordinance shall take effect the 1'S day of -the , .2016.
PASSED and ADOPTED this S day of huh&. , 2016.
ATTEST: l�
/y
Philip Levine
"� Mayor ,
VCII`�F �3) 20, 1p 1„.11 , _ „, ,.
APPROVED AS TO
Rafael E. Granado �� `�\ ��� FORM & LANGUAGE
City Clerk
y - .•' l' j, & FOR EX CUTION
o Underline denotes addition y " * 1 ( 1 5 J
denotes delet ke CORP ORAI ED: City Attorney
.IN ty omey Date
(Sponsored by Commissioned J6 •Eliza h.Almi n)
(Co-sponsored by Mayor Philipoc ,:';`,'-
Mayor Micky Steinberg, Commissioner
Lw .
Ricky Arrioia, Commissioner Michael Grieco, Commissioner Joy Malakoff, and
Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez)
F:\ATTO\TURN\ORDINANC\Chapter 70-Conversion Therapy-05-23-16.docx
MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
RAULJ. AGUILA, CITY ATTORNEY COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Members of the City Commission
City Manager Jimmy Morales
FROM: Raul J. Aguila, City Attorney rri►td ,f'—
Hernan'Cardeno, Code Compliance I irect•,:;>
DATE: June 8, 2016 SECOND READING – PUBLIC HEARING
SUBJECT: AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA AMENDING CHAPTER 70 OF THE CODE OF THE
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, ENTITLED "MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES," BY
CREATING ARTICLE VII, TO BE ENTITLED "SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR
GENDER• IDENTITY CHANGE EFFORTS," TO PROHIBIT LICENSED
PROFESSIONALS FROM ENGAGING IN COUNSELING EFFORTS,
PRACTICES, OR TREATMENTS WITH THE GOAL TO CHANGE A MINOR'S
SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY; PROVIDING FOR
REPEALER, SEVERABILITY, CODIFICATION, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Pursuant to the request of Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman, the above-referenced
Ordinance was drafted to create a prohibition on conversion therapy counseling, practices, and
treatments by state licensed professionals in the City of Miami Beach. The prohibitions set forth
in the Ordinance would apply to medical practitioners, osteopathic practitioners, psychologists,
psychotherapists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and licensed counselors.
Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a counseling practice or
treatment which seeks to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, including, but
not limited to, efforts to change behaviors, gender expression, or to reduce or eliminate romantic
or sexual attraction toward a person of the same gender. This therapy has been denounced by
national psychology and psychiatry associations and academies as ineffective, unsupported by
credible evidence, and a potentially harmful practice. Indeed, cities and states across the nation
have begun to adopt laws prohibiting conversion therapy including California, Illinois, New
Jersey, Oregon, the District of Columbia, and the City of Cincinnati.
Pursuant to Section 456.003 of the Florida Statutes, which regulates health professions
and occupations, when the "public is not effectively protected by other means, including but not
limited to, other state statutes, local ordinances, or federal legislation," the state may regulate
such professions for the preservation of the health, safety, and welfare of the public. As no
state or local legislation currently exists in Florida to protect the public from the harmful and
professionally discredited practice of conversion therapy, the City of Miami Beach will take the
lead in the state on this issue upon the passage of this Ordinance.
Existing Code Compliance resources will be utilized for the enforcement of this
Ordinance, therefore no fiscal impact is anticipated.
RJA/DTrr
F:WTTO\TURMCOMMMEMO\Ord.Prolubii'ng Conversion Therapy dam
Agenda Item R5-D
Date 6-B'-/L
0- MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION
MEMORANDUM
TO: Jimmy Morales, City Manager
FROM: John Elizabeth Aleman, Commissioner
DATE: April 25, 2016
SUBJECT: Agenda item for May 11, 2016 City Commission Meeting
Please place the following item on the May 11 , 2016 City Commission Meeting
Agenda:
The first reading of an ordinance regarding conversion therapy
practices.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call our office at ext.6437.
Thank you!
MIAMIBEACH
•
Commissioner John Elizabeth Aleman
OFFICE OF MAYOR AND COMMISSION
1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Tel: 305-673-7102/Fax: 305-673-7096/www.miamibeachfl.gov
We are committed to providing excellent public service and safety to all who live, work,and ploy in our vibrant, tropical, historic community.
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