The Texas House has passed a bill reorganizing a state family agency — without divisive rules allowing private child welfare agencies to block gays and same-sex couples from adopting children on religious grounds.
The lower chamber voted 146-0 Wednesday to advance an overhaul of the Department of Family and Protective Services. The bill already cleared the Senate.
House social conservatives had planned to attach an amendment before a preliminary approval vote that came Tuesday. It would have protected child agencies that object to gay and same-sex adoptions for religious reasons from being sued.
Democrats opposed it and slowed debate down, however. With a key deadline looming at midnight Tuesday, the amendment was abandoned.
It could have resurfaced Wednesday during final approval, but didn't. The final vote didn't include any amendments.
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