("Amendments to Child Welfare"), in 1998. It passed the State Legislature. The law requires state agencies to give adoption priority to married couples and to prohibit adoptions by cohabitating unmarried couples. Openly lesbian Representative Jackie Biskupski (D-Salt Lake) spoke against the bill. A single person can adopt in Utah, except that by Utah law "a person who is cohabiting in a relationship that is not a legally valid and binding marriage" cannot adopt. Utah law states that "a child may be adopted by adults who are legally married to each other in accordance with the laws of this state, including adoption by a stepparent." On December 20, 2013, same-sex marriage became legal in Utah; thus legalizing same-sex adoption for same-sex couples. However, the U.S. Supreme court stayed the order. On October 6, 2014, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, and the hold was lifted. In 2013, Utah's capital, Salt Lake City, and its suburbs had the highest rate — 26 percent — of same-sex couples sharing parenthood, according to an analysis of census data by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. Lesbian couples have access to in vitro fertilization. State law recognizes the non-genetic, non-gestational mother as a legal parent to a child born via donor insemination, but only if the parents are married. Gestational surrogacy arrangements are valid and legal in Utah but only for married couples. In August 2019, the Utah Supreme Court, basing its decision on the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, ruled unconstitutional a piece of state law barring same-sex couples from reaching a surrogacy agreement with a woman they wish to carry their child. The decision says in part that "same-sex couples must be afforded all of the benefits the state has linked to marriage." Discrimination protections On March 6, 2015, the Utah State Senate passed Utah SB 296 in a 23–5 vote. The law bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing (public accommodation not included) with exemptions for religious organizations and their affiliates such as schools and hospitals, as well as the Boy Scouts. The bill also would protect employees from being fired for talking about religious or moral beliefs, as long as the speech was reasonable and not harassing or disruptive. The measure was backed by the LDS Church. It was approved by the state House on March 11, in