S. 656: Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-10 · Social Welfare · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021

Plain 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.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] · 25 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Thom Tillis (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), James E. Risch (R-ID), James Lankford (R-OK), Mike Lee (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Steve Daines (R-MT), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Rick Scott (R-FL), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), John Hoeven (R-ND), John Boozman (R-AR)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] reported raising $6.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s656.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>

Record fed-us-cong117-s656 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117