Committee advances bill to enshrine protections for faith‑based foster and adoption providers amid opposition

Representative Mary Bentley presented a bill to put into statute protections for faith-based foster and adoption providers. Bentley said the measure merely codifies current practice and aims to "ensure that faith based adoption of foster care providers remain free to serve children in need" and to prevent prospective changes by future administrations.

Bentley described the bill as proactive and said the Department of Human Services and the governor support the measure. Committee members asked for clarifications about the bill's scope. Representative Barnes asked whether "faith based" meant any doctrine; Bentley replied that the statute is intended to protect religious freedom broadly and asserted the bill would not override child-protection laws.

JP Tribble, an adoption attorney who opposed the bill, told the committee he is "principally against this bill." Tribble said the bill's language could create conflicts between a prospective parent's religious beliefs and state law, and he warned the measure could impede enforcement of child-protection rules. He cited the Lord's Ranch as an example of a faith-based organization where alleged abuses led to litigation and said the bill could create a "slippery slope" if religious beliefs were allowed to supersede state child-welfare requirements.

Representative Bentley rebutted Tribble's testimony, calling his statements "inaccurate and not correct with this bill," and said the measure had been vetted by DHS, the attorney general's office and the governor's office. After discussion and public comment, the committee voted to pass the bill by voice vote.

The bill's sponsor and opponents differ on whether the statutory language adequately reconciles religious-liberty protections with existing child-welfare safeguards; the committee record shows the bill will move forward for further consideration.