I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 852 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide that an alien 
may not be denied admission or entry to the United States, or other 
immigration benefits, because of the alien’s religion, and for other pur-
poses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2017 
Mr. BEYER (for himself, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE 
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. COURTNEY, Mr. 
SWALWELL of California, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. PAYNE, Ms. SLAUGHTER, 
Mr. HECK, Mr. WELCH, Mr. NORCROSS, Mr. SOTO, Mr. TONKO, Mr. 
COHEN, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. SARBANES, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. 
POCAN, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. 
NORTON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. ELLISON, Mr. CARSON 
of Indiana, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. KIND, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. DANNY K. 
DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. 
DINGELL, Mr. LEWIS of Georgia, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. SEAN PATRICK 
MALONEY of New York, Ms. ESTY, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. SERRANO, 
Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, Mr. DELANEY, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. 
RUSH, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsyl-
vania, Mr. SIRES, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. 
BONAMICI, Mr. NADLER, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. CUMMINGS, Ms. PINGREE, 
Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. WALZ, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mr. 
O’ROURKE, Mr. HIGGINS of New York, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 
KEATING, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. JEFFRIES, 
Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. TED LIEU of California, Ms. LEE, Mr. SCOTT of Vir-
ginia, Mr. HIMES, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. DELBENE, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, 
Ms. MENG, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. TSONGAS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. 
GARAMENDI, Ms. TITUS, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New 
York, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. 
LYNCH, and Ms. MATSUI) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
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A BILL 
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide 
that an alien may not be denied admission or entry 
to the United States, or other immigration benefits, be-
cause of the alien’s religion, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Freedom of Religion 
Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON DENYING ADMISSION, ENTRY, OR 
OTHER BENEFIT BECAUSE OF RELIGION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 2 of title I of the Immi-
gration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1181 et seq.) is 
amended by inserting after section 219 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 220. PROHIBITION ON DENYING ADMISSION, ENTRY, 
OR OTHER BENEFIT BECAUSE OF RELIGION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro-
vision of the immigration laws, an alien may not be denied 
entry, reentry, or admission to the United States, or any 
other immigration benefit, because of the alien’s religion 
or lack of religious beliefs. 
‘‘(b) CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in subsection (a) 
shall be construed to affect the authorities under section 
212(f), subsections (h) and (i) of section 221, or any other 
provision of the immigration laws, when exercised on a 
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case-by-case basis with respect to an individual who a con-
sular officer, an immigration officer, the Attorney General, 
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Secu-
rity, or the President determines may pose a threat to 
United States national security interests.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 
for the Immigration and Nationality Act is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 219 the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘Sec. 220. Prohibition on denying admission, entry, or other benefit because of 
religion.’’. 
Æ 
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