Current Bills in the States
Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA’s)
Religious liberty is a fundamental right guaranteed to all American citizens in the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, the prevailing culture in America has become increasingly hostile to this right. The need for state-level religious freedom protections has never been more apparent.
Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRA’s) give courts a tried-and-true balancing test for weighing a person’s sincerely held religious beliefs against legitimate state interests. They do not dictate outcomes, as some might believe. These laws require the courts to apply a "strict scrutiny" standard when deciding cases involving claims of religious freedom violations. This means that a law cannot substantially burden a person's free exercise of religion unless (1) the law furthers a compelling government interest and (2) uses the least restrictive mans of furthering that interest.
RFRAs protect people of all faiths. For example, this religious liberty framework has been appealed by Native Americans seeking to grow long hair in school, Christians seeking to feed the homeless in the face of a hostile local government zoning laws, and even Muslim prisoners seeking to grow a short beard.
Scroll through the list below to see state RFRA's introduced in the states in this year. If your state has an external link, click to take action and send a letter to your state legislators!
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