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.