The Georgia State Senate passed an amended version of a religious freedom bill on Friday.
House Bill 757, which will allow faith-based organizations to refuse service to same-sex couples, passed the Senate -- 38 to 14 -- after three hours of heated debate, according to CNN. The same bill passed in the House last week, 161-0.
The Senate version of the bill combines the Pastor Protection Act, which protects religious leaders from being forced to perform same-sex marriages, and the First Amendment Defense Act, which allows tax-funded groups to deny services to lesbians and gays.
HB 757, which was introduced in July, could be signed into law by Georgia governor Nathan Deal as early as this week.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, religious freedom acts exist in some form in 21 states.
