SALEM -- A bill to ban "conversion therapy" for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth is headed to Gov. Kate Brown's desk after receiving final approval from the Senate on Thursday.

House Bill 2307 would ban mental health care providers from using so-called conversion therapy -- a practice that tries to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity -- on people younger than 18. It passed the Senate 21-8, with Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, excused.

Brown, who identifies as bisexual and is credited as the nation's first sitting LGBT governor, is expected to sign the bill.

Only one organization in Oregon offers conversion programs, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a civil rights advocacy group. The American Psychological Association has rejected the practice as a legitimate form of treatment, warning it may cause anxiety, depression and self-destructive behavior.

Supporters say the law would only apply to state-licensed mental health professionals, and wouldn't restrict religious freedom.

"Conversion therapy at its core, I believe, is an act of violence," said Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis. "Being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender is not a mental disorder, and it is not something that should be cured."

California, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey have laws banning conversion therapy, and lawmakers in 17 states besides Oregon are considering similar legislation, according the the White House. Last month, President Barack Obama called for an end to conversion therapy nationwide.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging New Jersey's conversion therapy ban, letting stand a lower court's decision to uphold the law signed by Gov. Chris Christie in 2013.

Casey Parks contributed to this report.

-- Ian K. Kullgren

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