Democrats claim House Bill 189, carried by Del. C. Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, allows adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples. Republicans say it is designed to protect the religious rights of private agencies.   

The bill passed on a voice vote Thursday after four sets of amendments offered by Democrats to narrow the bill’s scope were rejected.

“I feel that this risks the health and safety of our children,” said Del. David L. Englin, D-Alexandria.

Gilbert said the bill was designed to ensure that the “deeply held convictions of those birth parents, of those adoptive parents and of thee agencies themselves will be respected and protected and not discriminated against going forward.”  

He noted that faith-based agencies account for the majority of adoptions in the state and said that adoptions could decrease if there right to choose families based on convictions was taken away.

“These agencies should be allowed to place consistent with the religious and the political views of their organizations, and this will keep Catholic charities open,” added Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.   

Virginia’s Board of Social Services last year approved regulations that will effectively allow state-licensed private agencies to deny the adoption of a child by same-sex couples.

The regulations also will allow the adoption agencies to deny services to prospective parents on the basis of age, gender, disability, religion, political belief and family status.

Gilbert’s bill would essentially codify those regulations.