Protecting Religion from Government Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-754
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Good, Bob [R-VA-5]
Introduced: 2021-02-03
Policy area: Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Subjects: Civil actions and liability

First Amendment rights

Religion

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2021-03-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-02-03
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Protecting Religion from Government Act of 2021</b></p> <p>This bill prohibits a state or local government from imposing any law or regulation limiting the ability of a house of worship to hold any religious service or celebrate any religious ceremony in person. It creates a federal cause of action allowing a person to challenge a state or local regulation limiting the ability of the individual or religious institution to hold in-person services.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 754 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 3, 2021 Mr. Good of Virginia (for himself, Mr. Lamborn , Mrs. Boebert , Mr. Gaetz , Mr. Rosendale , Mr. Mooney , and Mr. Moore of Alabama ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prevent States and local jurisdictions from interfering with services held at houses of worship, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Protecting Religion from Government Act of 2021 . 2. Prohibition against interference by State and local governments with services held at houses of worship Consistent with First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the government of a State or locality therein may not impose any law or regulation limiting the ability for any house of worship to hold any religious service or celebrate any religious ceremony in person as such house of worship determines is appropriate. 3. Federal cause of action to challenge State and local regulation of interstate commerce (a) Private right of action A person, including an individual or religious institution, affected by a law or regulation of a State or unit of local government limiting the ability for any house of worship to hold services in person may bring an action in the appropriate district court to invalidate such a law or regulation. (b) Preliminary injunction Upon a motion of the plaintiff described in subsection (a), the court shall issue a preliminary injunction to preclude the State or unit of local government from enforcing the law or regulation at issue until such time as the court enters a final judgment in the case, unless the State or unit of local government proves by clear and convincing evidence that— (1) the State or unit of local government is likely to prevail on the merits at trial; and (2) the injunction would cause irreparable harm to the State or unit of local government. (c) Statute of limitations No action shall be maintained under this section unless it is commenced within 10 years after the cause of action arose.