Do No Harm Act
Bill: S.2752 | Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. (D-NJ)
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

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
The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has contracted, granted, or made an agreement to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by such 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.

To amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to protect civil 
rights and otherwise prevent meaningful harm to third parties, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Do No Harm Act''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 should 
        not be interpreted to authorize an exemption from generally 
        applicable law if the exemption would impose the religious 
        views, habits, or practices of one party upon another;
            (2) the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 should 
        not be interpreted to authorize an exemption from generally 
        applicable law if the exemption would impose meaningful harm, 
        including dignitary harm, on a third party; and
            (3) the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 should 
        not be interpreted to authorize an exemption for one party from 
        generally applicable law if the exemption would permit 
        discrimination against others, including persons who do not 
        belong to the religion or adhere to the beliefs of that party.

SEC. 3. EXCEPTION FROM APPLICATION OF ACT WHERE FEDERAL LAW PREVENTS 
              HARM TO OTHERS.

    Section 3 of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 
U.S.C. 2000bb-1) is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Additional Exception From Application of Act Where Federal 
Law Prevents Harm to Others.--Subsection (a) shall not apply--
            ``(1) to any provision of law or its implementation that 
        provides for or requires--
                    ``(A) a protection against discrimination or the 
                promotion of equal opportunity, including the Civil 
                Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.), the 
                Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 
                12101 et seq.), the Family and Medical Leave Act of 
                1993 (29 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.), Executive Order 11246 
                (42 U.S.C. 2000e note; relating to equal opportunity in 
                Federal employment), the Violence Against Women Act of 
                1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925 et seq.), the final rule, 
                including any amendment made by such rule, of the 
                Department of Housing and Urban Development entitled 
                `Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of 
                Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity' (77 Fed. Reg. 
                5662 (February 3, 2012)) (or any corresponding similar 
                regulation or ruling), or section 5.106 of title 24, 
                Code of Federal Regulations (or any corresponding 
                similar regulation or ruling);
                    ``(B) an employer to provide a wage, other 
                compensation, or a benefit including leave, or a 
                standard protecting collective activity in the 
                workplace;
                    ``(C) protection against child labor, child abuse, 
                or child exploitation; or
                    ``(D) access to, information about, a referral for, 
                provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or 
                service;
            ``(2) to any term of a government contract, grant, 
        cooperative agreement, or other instrument for an award, that 
        requires a good, service, function, or activity to be performed 
        for or provided to a beneficiary of or participant in a program 
        or activity funded by such a government contract, grant, 
        cooperative agreement, or other instrument for an award; or
            ``(3) to the extent that application would result in 
        denying a person the full and equal enjoyment of a good, 
        service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or 
        accommodation provided by the government.''.

SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF PRECLUSION OF LITIGATION BETWEEN PRIVATE 
              PARTIES.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of the amendment made by subsection (b) 
is to clarify the applicability of the Religious Freedom Restoration 
Act of 1993, as enacted.
    (b) Preclusion.--Section 3(c) of the Religious Freedom Restoration 
Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb-1(c)) is amended, in the first sentence, 
by striking ``judicial proceeding'' and all that follows and inserting 
``judicial proceeding to which the government is a party and obtain 
appropriate relief against that government.''.
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