I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6099 
To ensure equal treatment of faith-based organizations participating in pro-
grams of the Department of Health and Human Services, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 5, 2020 
Mr. BUDD (for himself, Mr. LATTA, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. NOR-
MAN, Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina, Mr. LAMBORN, Mrs. HARTZLER, 
Mr. BABIN, Mr. BANKS, Mr. HICE of Georgia, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. 
MOONEY of West Virginia, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. KELLY of 
Pennsylvania, Mr. MURPHY of North Carolina, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. 
WALBERG, Mr. CLINE, Mr. CLOUD, and Mr. ABRAHAM) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education 
and Labor, and Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To ensure equal treatment of faith-based organizations par-
ticipating in programs of the Department of Health and 
Human Services, 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 ‘‘Equal Treatment of 
Faith-Based Organizations Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. ENSURING THAT ANY RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE 
OF 
HHS-FINANCIAL 
ASSISTANCE 
APPLY 
EQUALLY TO FAITH-BASED AND NON-FAITH- 
BASED ORGANIZATIONS. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services— 
(1) shall not (including by means of any grant 
document, agreement, covenant, memorandum of un-
derstanding, policy, or regulation)— 
(A) require faith-based organizations to 
provide an assurance or notice as a condition on 
receipt of financial assistance from the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services (in this 
Act referred to as ‘‘HHS-financial assistance’’) 
if such assurance or notice is not required of a 
non-faith-based organization; 
(B) disqualify faith-based organizations 
from participating in any program or service of 
the Department of Health and Human Services 
because such organizations are motivated or in-
fluenced by religious faith to provide social 
services, or because of their religious affiliation 
or exercise; or 
(C) otherwise apply any requirement or re-
striction on the use of HHS-financial assistance 
to faith-based organizations unless such re-
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quirement or restriction is applied equally to 
non-faith-based organizations; and 
(2) shall prohibit each State or local govern-
ment 
administering 
HHS-financial 
assistance 
from— 
(A) implementing a requirement or restric-
tion described in paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(C); or 
(B) disqualifying a faith-based organiza-
tion as described in paragraph (1)(B). 
SEC. 3. ENSURING THAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT RE-
QUIRED TO MAKE CERTAIN REFERRALS TO 
ALTERNATIVE PROVIDERS. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services— 
(1) shall not (including by means of any grant 
document, agreement, covenant, memorandum of un-
derstanding, policy, or regulation) require any orga-
nization that provides services under a program sup-
ported by HHS-financial assistance to refer a bene-
ficiary or prospective beneficiary of the program to 
an alternative provider if the beneficiary or prospec-
tive beneficiary objects to the religious character of 
the organization; and 
(2) shall prohibit each State or local govern-
ment administering HHS-financial assistance from 
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implementing a requirement described in paragraph 
(1). 
Æ 
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