United States · Bill · S
S. 656 (117th)
Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021
Introduced
10 March 2021
Last action
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Status
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Sponsors
—
Subjects
Discovery layer
Source updated
5 December 2025
Summary
Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits the federal government, states, tribal nations, or localities from discriminating or taking adverse action against a child welfare provider that declines to provide services due to the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. However, government entities may still take adverse action against a provider that declines to provide adoption or foster care services based on race, color, or national origin. The Department of Health and Human Services must withhold a portion of federal funding for family services and child welfare activities from a government entity that discriminates against a child welfare provider in violation of this bill. Child welfare providers may also sue the government entity for such discrimination. A prevailing provider may recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Furthermore, government entities that accept certain federal funding for family services and child welfare activities must waive sovereign immunity as a defense to lawsuits brought under this bill. (In many cases, sovereign immunity shields states, territories, tribal nations, and some localities against private suits.)
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Votes
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Versions
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Documents
3 official files
Introduced in Senate (text)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 March 2021
Introduced in Senate (PDF)
Introduced in Senate · EN · 10 March 2021
Introduced in Senate
summary · EN · 10 March 2021
Sponsors
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Related records
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Sources
PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.
- Official source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/656
- Open data entity: https://api.congress.gov/v3/bill/117/s/656