SB261 Summary

• Establishes the Alabama Child Care Provider Inclusion Act to prohibit the state from discriminating against or taking adverse action against child care service providers based on their refusal to provide services conflicting with their sincerely held religious beliefs.

• Prohibits the state from refusing to license, renew licenses, or cancel licenses of child care providers on the basis that the provider declines to carry out activities conflicting with their religious beliefs.

• Specifies that if a provider declines to provide, facilitate, or refer a child welfare service based on religious beliefs, that decision may not limit other providers' ability to offer those services.

• Authorizes injured providers to obtain declaratory relief, injunctive relief, damages, reasonable attorneys' fees, and costs for violations of the act's protections.

• Becomes effective immediately upon passage and approval by the Governor or upon otherwise becoming law.