Section 45.005 - Secondary Services Providers and Referrals(a) A child welfare services provider may not be required to provide any service that conflicts with the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs.(b) A governmental entity or any person that operates under governmental authority to refer or place children for child welfare services shall:(1) ensure that a secondary child welfare services provider is available in that catchment area to provide a service described by Subsection (a) to a child; or(2) if there is an insufficient number of secondary services providers willing or available in that catchment area to provide that service, provide for one or more secondary services providers in a nearby catchment area.(c) A child welfare services provider who declines to provide a child welfare service as authorized by this section shall:(1) provide to the person seeking the service written information directing the person to: (A) the web page on the department's Internet website that includes a list of other licensed child welfare services providers; or(B) other information sources that identify other licensed child welfare services providers who provide the service being denied;(2) refer the applicant to another licensed child welfare services provider who provides the service being denied; or(3) refer the applicant to the department or to a single source continuum contractor to identify and locate a licensed child welfare services provider who provides the service being denied.Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 45.005
Added by Acts 2017, Texas Acts of the 85th Leg. - Regular Session, ch. 1152,Sec. 1, eff. 9/1/2017.