TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Apr 2, 2024

Two bills with the potential to affect foster children are on their way to Gov. Bill Lee's desk for his signature. HB2169/SB1738 would block the Department of Children's Services (DCS) from excluding potential adoptive or foster parents who hold anti-LGBTQ beliefs for "religious or moral" reasons. Another bill, SB2359/HB1726, would prohibit DCS from requiring foster parents to get the flu or whooping cough vaccine, regardless of the medical vulnerabilities of the child. Republicans have claimed that both bills will widen the pool of prospective foster families, while Democrats have voiced concerns over the mental and physical well-being of vulnerable children. The Tennessean has the story.