Text of TN HB 1152 (2019)

HB1152 000009 -1- SENATE BILL 848 By Hensley HOUSE BILL 1152 By Ragan AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4- 1-407 and Title 36, relative to child-placing agencies. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE: SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 36, Chapter 1, Part 1, is amended by adding the following as a new section: (a) A child-placing agency shall not be required to: (1) Provide or facilitate adoption services if those adoption services conflict with the child-placing agency's sincerely held religious beliefs; or (2) Provide or facilitate adoption services under circumstances that conflict with the child-placing agency's sincerely held religious beliefs. (b) An agency of state or local government shall not take adverse action against a child-placing agency on the basis of the child-placing agency: (1) Declining to provide or facilitate adoption services that conflict with the child-placing agency's sincerely held religious beliefs; or (2) Declining to provide or facilitate adoption services under circumstances that conflict with the child-placing agency's sincerely held religious beliefs. (c) In order to qualify for the protections provided in this section, a child-placing agency's sincerely held religious beliefs must be contained in a publicly available written policy, statement of faith, or other document that is adhered to by the child-placing agency. HB1152 000009 -2- SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.