California Assemblyman Evan Low, a Democrat, on Friday shelved a bill that sought to limit the selling or advertising of therapies that attempt to alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people.

Such therapies go by names such as “conversion therapy,” “reparative therapy” or “ex-gay therapy.”

Low's bill, Assembly Bill 2943, sought to make it clear that such therapies run afoul of state consumer laws. Low, an openly gay Democrat, has said the practice is ineffective and harmful. The legislation has cleared both the Senate and Assembly, thanks to Democratic majorities in both chambers. A handful of Republicans also supported the measure.

In a statement released Friday, Low said that he wants to continue a conversation with faith leaders before proceeding with the legislation.

“I authored Assembly Bill 2943 to ensure a remedy for those who are deceived by this deceptive practice,” Low said. “As the bipartisan bill progressed through the Legislature this year, opposition began to speak out against the legislation. I knew this was an emotionally charged issue, so I spent the past few months traveling up and down the state meeting with a wide variety of faith leaders.”

“I was heartened by the conversations. A number of religious leaders denounced conversion therapy and recognized how harmful the practice is while acknowledging it has been discredited by the medical and psychological communities. I left those productive conversations feeling hopeful. I believe every person who attended these meetings left with a greater understanding for the underlying reason and intention of this bill to create a loving and inclusive environment for all. However, I believe there is still more to learn.”

“The best policy is not made in a vacuum and in order to advance the strongest piece of legislation, the bill requires additional time to allow for an inclusive process not hampered by legislative deadlines. With a hopeful eye toward the future, I share with you that, despite the support the bill received in the Assembly and Senate, I will not be sending AB 2943 to the Governor this year. I am committed to continuing to work towards creating a policy that best protects and celebrates the identities of LGBT Californians and a model for the nation to look towards,” he added.

Opponents of the legislation had called the measure overly broad, questioning whether ministering to people struggling with their sexuality would lead to lawsuits. Others claimed it would ban the Bible.

News of Low's decision was praised by opponents.

“We want to thank Assemblyman Low for considering the repercussions of this bill and making the decision to pull it,” Karen England of the Capitol Resource Institute said in a statement.

“We oppose AB 2943 because it attacks conscience rights on two fronts: adults seeking to resolve unwanted feelings of sexuality and gender, and counselors, experts, authors and even religious leaders trying to help,” she added.

Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California, told The Los Angeles Times that the additional time would allow for “tinkering with the bill” to make “very clear that these false assertions the other side is making are not accurate.”

Zbur added that he believes Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, was prepared to sign the bill as written.

California's legislative session ended on Friday.