Alabama Governor signs bill allowing faith-based adoption agencies to turn away gay couples

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has signed into law a measure that allows faith-based adoption and foster care agencies to refuse placing children with same-sex couples.

House Bill 24, titled "Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act," bars the state from denying licenses to adoption agencies as long as they do not receive state or federal funding.

"I ultimately signed House Bill 24 because it ensures hundreds of children can continue to find 'forever homes' through religiously-affiliated adoption agencies. This bill is not about discrimination, but instead protects the ability of religious agencies to place vulnerable children in a permanent home," Ivey said after signing the bill on Wednesday.

The new law also prevents the state from revoking the state funding, contracts or tax-exempt status of faith-based adoption agencies.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Rich Wingo (R-Tuscaloosa), maintained that the legislation does not discriminate against anyone and said that its purpose was to make sure that faith-based agencies would not be forced to close due to their decisions based on their beliefs. He also noted that most of the adoptions in the state are handled by secular agencies.

The measure was approved by the Alabama House of Representative by a vote of 87–0, with six abstentions. It was passed in the Senate by a vote of 23–9, according to The Stream.

Wingo said he introduced the bill because states such as Massachusetts, Illinois, California and the District of Columbia have passed anti-discrimination laws that forced adoption and foster agencies to place children with gay couples in violation of their religious beliefs. Adoption agencies in those states have voluntarily shut down as a result.

David Dinielli, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, expressed disappointment over Ivey's decision to sign the bill.

"We are disappointed that one of the very first pieces of legislation Governor Kay Ivey chose to sign is a bill intended to target LGBT kids and stigmatize LGBT families," Dinielli said, according to AL.com. "If the Governor had hoped to signal a new day in Alabama government, this was the wrong way to do it," he added.

House Bill 24 closely resembles a legislation that was turned into law last month by the governor of South Dakota. Similar laws that provide exemptions to child-care facilities have also been passed in Michigan, North Dakota and Virginia.