German Health Minister Jens Spahn announced plans Tueday to write a new law banning conversion therapy.

The new law would ban the practice of conversion therapy, which has been widely discredited by medical professionals. Currently, Germany experiences about 1,000 attempts at conversion therapy every year involving coaches, therapists and in some cases exorcisms. Under the new law these would all be ended. Spahn stated “Homosexuality is not a disease and therefore does not require treatment.” Spahn shared two medical opinions he commissioned examining homosexuality and the effectiveness of conversion therapy. Spahn went on to say that “Conversion therapies make you sick not healthy.” He discussed the findings of the studies which not only refute conversion therapy, but call for its immediate ban.

A number of US States and territories have banned conversion therapy, but the new law would make Germany one of the first countries to ban conversion therapy nationwide. There are currently conversion therapy bans in 18 US states, including Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Maryland, as well as Puerto Rico.