April 21, 2016 - In an interview with NPR's Morning Edition today, Governor Bill Haslam discussed HB 1840, a bill recently passed by the Tennessee legislature that would permit counselors to deny services to clients passed on the providers' personal beliefs.

The Tennessee General Assembly recently voted to pass HB 1840/SB 1556. Also known as Hate Bill 1840, HB1840 will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held beliefs." Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that could result in costly unintended consequences for the state of Tennessee. Today, national and state leaders gathered on a press call to discuss the implications of this harmful legislation and call on Governor Haslam to do the right thing and veto the bill.

Washington, DC - April 27, 2016 - Today, Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee followed in the footsteps of North Carolina's Governor Pat McCrory and Mississippi's Governor Phil Bryant to become the latest to sign into law discriminatory "religious freedom" legislation targeting the LGBTQ community. Tennessee's HB 1840/SB 1556 permits counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held beliefs" and makes Tennessee the only state in the country to invalidate the American Counseling Association's Code of Ethics. 

April 11, 2016 - Last week, Tennessee General Assembly voted to pass House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, which will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held beliefs." Not only is this legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that has the potential to negatively impact Tennessee's economy and damage the counseling profession as a whole.

April 6, 2016 - Today, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to pass House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, which will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's  "strongly held religious beliefs." The bill now returns to the Tennessee Senate for a vote. The American Counseling Association calls on Speaker Harwell and the Tennessee state Senators to do the right thing and reject Hate Bill 1840.

March 30, 2016 – In anticipation of legislative action this week on HB 1840, today the American Counseling Association (ACA) launched a statewide paid media campaign targeting Speaker Harwell and other State Legislators across Tennessee including:

Nashville, TN—As the House prepares to vote tomorrow on HB1840, state legislators joined the American Counseling Association and the Tennessee Equality Project at a press conference today to discuss the negative effects of House Bill 1840. HB 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, would permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider's "strongly held religious beliefs." Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but it is also an unnecessary government intrusion that could result in costly unintended consequences for the state of Tennessee– for the hundreds of thousands of state residents whose reliance on accessible and professional counseling services could be harmed; for the state's eligibility for federal healthcare funding that could be jeopardized by the discriminatory nature of this legislation; and for the bottom line of Tennessee small businesses and the state's tourism and convention industries, which could be negatively affected if Tennessee becomes "the next" state to enter into the contentious national debate surrounding LGBTQ rights and religious freedom legislation