The Texas House on Tuesday tentatively approved a bill that seeks to allow state-funded or private adoption agencies to reject gay parents based on their religious objections.

According to The Texas Tribune, the bill advanced on a 94-51 vote. A final vote is needed before the legislation moves to the Senate.

Similar laws have been passed in five other states, but Texas' proposal, modeled after a South Dakota law, would extend to state-funded agencies.

Opponents say the bill would also allow faith-based adoption agencies to reject applicants based on religious affiliation or marital status.

Democrats strongly objected to the measure introduced by Republican Representative James Frank. They said it would give religious groups a license to discriminate against LGBT, Jewish or divorced parents.

Frank told the AP that adoption agencies should be free to pick like-minded parents.

“My guess is if you have an LGBT agency, they're going to pick an LGBT family, and if you have a Baptist agency, they may be more likely to pick a Baptist family,” Frank said. “[They] should be free to do that.”