Members of the gay and lesbian community in Florida are now one step closer to child adoption. This month, the Florida House of Representatives approved an amendment that would repeal the state’s statutory ban on gay and lesbian adoption. The language contained in House Bill 7013 that says homosexuals are not eligible to adopt children in Florida was stricken out and approved by a voice vote.
The Adoption and Foster Care law — HB 7013 — seeks to increase Florida’s adoption rate, but at the same time had excluded non-heterosexual individuals from being able to adopt. The amended version of the bill will change that. The legislation is timely given that same-sex couples have been able to legally marry in the Sunshine State since January, 2015.
The March 11th vote took place five years after a Florida appeals court ruled that the state’s gay-adoption ban is unconstitutional. The full adoption bill is awaiting a House vote, but lawmakers seem confident it will pass and head to the Florida Senate. If approved in the Senate, the bill moves to Governor Rick Scott.
