Georgia ‘Keep Faith in Adoption and Foster Care Act’ (SB 375)

SB 375 would allow a child-placing agency to decline to accept a referral from the state and decline to perform services not referred under a contract with the state based on the child-placing agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

If a child-placing agency declines to accept a referral, the state would be required to immediately refer those services to another child-placing agency.

The bill would prohibit the state from taking any adverse action against a child-placing agency or an organization that seeks to become a child-placing agency on the basis, wholly or partly, that such child-placing agency or organization has declined to accept a referral for adoption or foster care services that do not comply with such child-placing agency’s or organization’s sincerely held religious beliefs.

The bill would allow a child-placing agency to decline to perform any service, including services not referred by the state, that conflicts with the child-placing agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs, and the state would be prohibited from taking any adverse action against such child-placing agency for declining to perform such service.

If passed, the bill would allow child adoption and foster placement agencies the right to discriminate in, or refuse, the services they offer (such as child placement) to LGBTQ families and children.

STATUS

Passed the senate on February 23, 2018, by a vote of 34-19.

People