A new Texas bill could allow adoption agencies to reject potential new parents based on their religion or sexual orientation, CNN reports.
Lawmakers insist their bill does not amount to discrimination, however, because the measure requires that the rejected applicants be given choices from other agencies than the one that rejected them.
House Bill 3859 is part of a wider nationwide push to allow business owners to refuse to service to customers or clients they deem unacceptable on a religious basis. The effort has been dubbed the “religious freedom” movement, though critics have said the movementis tantamount to a request for freedom to discriminate.
The bill's author, Representative James Frank, says the bill is simply trying to give protection to the 25% of state child welfare providers that are faith based.