Protection for faith-based agencies bracketed

A proposal to offer protections for faith-based agencies that contract with the state foster care system was bracketed by its introducer April 1.

LB975, introduced by Seward Sen. Mark Kolterman, would prevent the state from taking any adverse action against a child-placing agency if that agency refuses to facilitate a direct referral for a child based on the agency’s sincerely held religious beliefs. Adverse action would include denying an agency’s funding, refusing to enter into or renew a contract or canceling an agency’s license.

Kolterman said the state needs to embrace a diversity of belief systems in order to maximize the number of agencies available to serve the 5,600 kids currently awaiting placement in the state’s foster care system.

He offered a motion to bracket the bill until the last day of session, however, noting that he expected extensive debate on the issue and lawmakers still had much to accomplish in the session’s remaining days.

A Judiciary Committee amendment to the bill would require an agency to provide applicants the contact information for other child-placing agencies when the agency declines to facilitate a child placement.

The amendment also would remove a provision from the bill that would have allowed child-placing agencies to sue for compensatory damages resulting from any adverse action brought against the agency.

There were no objections to Kolterman’s bracket motion, ending debate on LB975 for the session. Several amendments are pending on the bill.