LGBTQ protection bill headed to Nevada governor’s desk

CARSON CITY — The Nevada Assembly gave final legislative approval Wednesday to a bill requiring foster parents to be trained on working with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth.

The Assembly, on a voice vote, agreed to minor amendments added by the Senate to Assembly Bill 99. The bill now goes to Gov. Brian Sandoval.

AB99 also would require state and local agencies and facilities to treat a child in their care as having the gender with which the child identifies.

During committee hearings, former wards who had been placed in foster care described emotional abuse when families they had been placed with belittled them for their sexuality or isolated them from other children.

The Senate passed the bill 18-2 on Tuesday, with Republican Sens. Joe Hardy of Boulder City and Don Gustavson of Sparks casting the no votes. Hardy expressed concern that requiring additional training on LGBTQ youth would dissuade otherwise qualified people from becoming foster parents.

It passed the Assembly earlier on a 26-15 party-line vote.

Contact Sandra Chereb at schereb@reviewjournal.com or 775-461-3821. Follow @SandraChereb on Twitter.