YourVoice.Now Summary
Civil LibertiesWorkers & JobsA 1993 religious-freedom law could no longer excuse anyone from civil rights, job, child-safety, or health care laws.
Civil Liberties
Today the 1993 law can excuse a person from a rule that weighs heavily on their faith. That would end for laws against bias. Named examples include the Civil Rights Act, the disability rights law, and the family leave law.
Some rules require people to get health care, or to be told about it, sent to it, or covered for it. The 1993 law could no longer excuse anyone from those rules.
Some laws guard kids from child labor, abuse, or being used for profit. Faith could no longer be a reason to skip them under the 1993 law.
Some groups get paid through a government grant or contract. The deal may require them to serve certain people. They could not use the 1993 law to skip that work.
The 1993 law could not be used to keep anyone from a fair and equal share of what the government offers. That includes its goods, services, and places.
Today a person can raise the 1993 law in court to win relief from a government. The bill says it works only when a government is part of the case. It could not be used when one person or business sues another.
Workers & Jobs
Some rules make bosses pay wages or give benefits and time off. Others guard workers who act together, as in a union. Faith could no longer be used to skip these rules under the 1993 law.
More about this bill
People and groups could no longer use a 1993 religious-freedom law to get out of many government rules. Today that law lets a person skip a rule that puts a heavy burden on their faith. The government can still enforce it only if it has a very strong reason and no milder way to reach it. The bill would end that option for laws against discrimination, such as the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. It would also end it for rules on pay, benefits, and leave at work. Rules that protect workers acting together, as in a union, would be covered too. So would laws against child labor and child abuse, and rules on getting health care or coverage for it. If you work for a religious employer, this law could no longer be used to set aside your rights under those laws. Groups paid through government grants or contracts would have to provide the services those deals require. The law also could not be used to deny anyone equal use of a government service. People could raise it in court only in cases where a government is a party, not in suits between private parties. The bill names no start date. It has only been introduced so far, so nothing has changed yet.
Congressional Summary
Do No Harm Act This bill prohibits the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to specified federal laws or the implementation of such laws. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. Under the bill, RFRA is inapplicable to laws or the implementation of laws that protect against discrimination or require the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964); require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for any health care item or service. The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has agreed to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by a government contract, grant, agreement, or other award; or (2) a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. In order for a person to assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-03-06
- Date Added
- 2026-10-22
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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