The Tennessee State House yesterday voted 67-22 to support a bill that could permit faith-based adoption agencies to refuse to place children with certain family units because of their religious beliefs, without fear of reprisal.

The bill now goes to the Senate before it heads to Governor Bill Lee’s desk for his signature. Lee has not publicly indicated whether he supports the measure.

The Kansas and Oklahoma legislatures enacted similar laws in 2018. Seven other states also have comparable laws on the books.

Supporters say the law is needed to protect against potential lawsuits from groups who oppose faith-based adoption agencies’ religious-belief exclusions.

Opponents, meanwhile, say the measure would enable adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples, single parents and non-Christians.

Republican Rep. Tim Rudd of Murfreesboro, the bill’s sponsor, said this bill aims to protect faith-based organizations’ religious freedoms. “Throughout the country, these faith-based organizations have been sued to the point they’re being driven out of business due to costs,” Rudd said.

Even if the bill passes, don’t look for sweeping changes in current adoption practices in Tennessee. Some faith-based adoption agencies preclude gay couples from adopting currently; but this bill would provide legal protections to agencies that do. Applicants wouldn’t be able to sue an agency for damages if the agency cited religious belief or moral conviction as its reason for declining to place a child with them.

“We have children across this state looking for loving homes,” said Democrat Rep. John Ray Clemmons. “Why are we doing anything to prohibit a loving family or a couple from being able to care of a child and take it in and provide for it… why?”

The state of Illinois decided in 2011 not to renew its contract with Catholic Charities’ adoption service due to its policy of refusing to place children in same-sex homes.

Catholic Charities has itself stopped handling adoptions in Massachusetts, as well as in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, over concerns about being forced to act counter to their religious beliefs.