Alabama Gov. Ivey signed HB24, shielding religious-exemption adoption and foster agencies
On May 3, 2017, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed House Bill 24, the "Child Placing Agency Inclusion Act" (Act No. 2017-213), barring the state from withholding a license, contract, or funding from a private, state-licensed child-placing agency that declines -- on religious grounds -- to provide a placement or other service conflicting with its written religious beliefs. The protection applies only to agencies that do not accept state or federal funds. Advocacy groups including the Human Rights Campaign and ACLU of Alabama said the law's practical effect is to let faith-based agencies turn away qualified prospective parents, including same-sex couples.