I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 914 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that implementation of 
the repeal of the former Department of Defense policy concerning homo-
sexual behavior in the Armed Forces not infringe upon the free exercise 
of religion by and the rights of conscience of members of the Armed 
Forces, including chaplains, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 28, 2013 
Mr. HUELSKAMP (for himself, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. WALBERG, Mrs. 
HARTZLER, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. JORDAN, and Mr. GOHMERT) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Serv-
ices 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that 
implementation of the repeal of the former Department 
of Defense policy concerning homosexual behavior in the 
Armed Forces not infringe upon the free exercise of 
religion by and the rights of conscience of members 
of the Armed Forces, including chaplains, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Military Religious 
Freedom Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE OF MEM-
BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND CHAP-
LAINS. 
(a) PROTECTION.—Chapter 53 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1034 
the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1034a. Protection of rights of conscience of mem-
bers of the Armed Forces and chaplains 
‘‘(a) PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE.—The 
sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of a member of 
the Armed Forces concerning the appropriate and inap-
propriate expression of human sexuality shall be accommo-
dated and shall not be the basis of any adverse personnel 
action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, 
training, or assignment. Nothing in this subsection pre-
cludes disciplinary action for conduct that is proscribed 
by chapter 47 of this title (the Uniform Code of Military 
Justice). 
‘‘(b) PROTECTION OF CHAPLAINS.—(1) A military 
chaplain is a certified religious leader or clergy of a faith 
community who, after satisfying the professional and edu-
cational requirements of the commissioning service, is 
commissioned as an officer in the Chaplains Corps of one 
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of the branches of the Armed Forces. A chaplain is a rep-
resentative of the chaplain’s faith group, who remains ac-
countable to the sending faith group for the chaplain’s re-
ligious ministry to members of the Armed Forces, to— 
‘‘(A) provide for the religious and spiritual 
needs of members of the Armed Forces of that faith 
group; and 
‘‘(B) facilitate the religious needs for other 
faith groups. 
‘‘(2) A military chaplain shall not be directed, or-
dered, or required to perform any duty, rite, ritual, cere-
mony, service, or function that is contrary to the con-
science, moral principles, or religious beliefs of the chap-
lain or contrary to the moral principles or religious beliefs 
of the chaplain’s faith group. The refusal by a military 
chaplain to perform a duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, 
or function that is contrary to the conscience, moral prin-
ciples, or religious beliefs of the chaplain or contrary to 
the moral principles or religious beliefs of the chaplain’s 
faith group shall not be the basis for any adverse per-
sonnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, 
schooling, training, or assignment. 
‘‘(c) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 
issue regulations setting forth guidance to implement the 
protections afforded by this section.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1034 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1034a. Protection of rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and 
chaplains.’’. 
SEC. 3. USE OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS SITE FOR 
MARRIAGE CEREMONIES OR MARRIAGE-LIKE 
CEREMONIES. 
A military installation or other property owned, 
rented, or otherwise under the jurisdiction or control of 
the Department of Defense shall not be used to officiate, 
solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like cere-
mony involving anything other than the union of one man 
with one woman. 
Æ 
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