Title: To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that every military chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious service according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill authorizes a military chaplain to close a prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain's conscience if called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious service or during a chaplain-led program to assist members of the Armed Forces on active duty, members of reserve components in an active status, and their immediate family members in building and maintaining a strong family structure.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 450 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 450

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that every military 
 chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious 
  service according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 11, 2017

  Mr. Jones introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that every military 
 chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious 
  service according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.

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

SECTION 1. PROTECTION OF THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS TO 
              CLOSE A PRAYER OUTSIDE OF A RELIGIOUS SERVICE ACCORDING 
              TO THE DICTATES OF THE CHAPLAIN'S CONSCIENCE.

    (a) Chaplain-Led Programs.--Section 1789 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsection (c):
    ``(c) If called upon to lead a prayer during a chaplain-led program 
referred to in subsection (a), a chaplain shall have the prerogative to 
close the prayer according to the dictates of the chaplain's own 
conscience.''.
    (b) United States Army.--Section 3547 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (c) United States Military Academy.--Section 4337 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain's conscience.''.
    (d) United States Navy and Marine Corps.--Section 6031 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(d) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (e) United States Air Force.--Section 8547 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(c) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (f) United States Air Force Academy.--Section 9337 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain's conscience.''.
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