New South Dakota law: adoption agencies can’t be forced to place kids with same-sex couples
South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard signed a law last week preventing faith-based adoption agencies from facing government discrimination for not placing children with same-sex couples. The law is Senate Bill 149 , sponsored by Senator Alan Solano, R-District 32, and Representative Steven Haugaard, R-District 10. "No child-placement agency may be required to provide any service that conflicts with, or provide any service under circumstances that conflict with any sincerely-held religious belief or moral conviction of the child-placement agency," it states. These beliefs "shall be contained in a written policy, statement of faith, or other document adhered to by a child-placement agency." "The state may not discriminate or take any adverse action against a child-placement agency or an organization seeking to become a child-placement agency" because of its sincerely-held religious or moral beliefs, the law continues. In Massachusetts ,...