The Georgia House of Representatives has passed a sweeping revamp to the state's adoption code that stalled last year after a "religious freedom" clause was added in the Senate.
The bill, passed by the House Thursday, incorporates several changes pushed for by the Senate in an effort to come to a compromise position that may stand a better chance of becoming law.
The 100-page bill makes numerous technical changes to the state's decades-old adoption code, last updated before internet was widely available.
A similar measure stalled last year amid tense debate after Republican senators changed the bill to allow adoption agencies to refuse placement based on religious beliefs. Gov. Nathan Deal and House leaders at the time unsuccessfully called for the Senate to act on the bill without amendments.