instruction:
In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Veterans Health Care Access Received
Closer to Home Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) veterans who are authorized by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs to receive health care in the community must
not lose the high quality, safety, care coordination, and other
veteran-centric elements that the health care system of the
Department of Veterans Affairs provides;
(2) many veterans receive health care from both the
Department and community providers but the lack of care
coordination among the Department and community providers when
veterans receive purchased care places veterans at risk for
poor health outcomes and results in inefficient use of finite
health care resources;
(3) veteran-centric care coordination is associated with
improved patient outcomes, as Department and non-Department
health care teams coordinate and collaborate to provide the
best care for veterans; and
(4) if the Secretary purchases care for veterans from the
private sector, such care must be secured in a cost-effective
manner, in a way that complements the larger health care system
of the Department by using industry standards for care and
costs.

SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION AND MODIFICATION OF PILOT PROGRAM OF ENHANCED
CONTRACT CARE AUTHORITY FOR HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF
VETERANS.

Section 403 of the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care
Improvements Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-387; 38 U.S.C. 1703 note) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ''120 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act'' and inserting
''90 days after the date of the enactment of the
Veterans Health Care Access Received Closer to Home Act
of 2014''; and
(B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
''(4) Program locations.--The Secretary shall carry out the
pilot program at locations in the following Veterans Integrated
Service Networks (and such other locations as the Secretary
considers appropriate):
''(A) Veterans Integrated Service Network 1.
''(B) Veterans Integrated Service Network 6.
''(C) Veterans Integrated Service Network 15.
''(D) Veterans Integrated Service Network 18.
''(E) Veterans Integrated Service Network 19.'';
(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:
''(b) Covered Veterans.--For purposes of the pilot program under
this section, a covered veteran is any rural or highly rural veteran
who--
''(1) is--
''(A) enrolled in the system of patient enrollment
established under section 1705(a) of title 38, United
States Code;
''(B) eligible for health care under the laws
administered by the Secretary and enrolls in such
system of patient enrollment not later than 30 days
after the veteran begins receiving covered health
services under the pilot program; or
''(C) eligible for health care under section
1710(e)(3) of such title; and
''(2) resides in a location that is--
''(A) more than 60 minutes driving distance from
the nearest Department health care facility providing
primary care services, if the veteran is seeking such
services;
''(B) more than 120 minutes driving distance from
the nearest Department health care facility providing
acute hospital care, if the veteran is seeking such
care; or
''(C) more than 240 minutes driving distance from
the nearest Department health care facility providing
tertiary care, if the veteran is seeking such care.'';
(3) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (j);
(4) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new
subsections:
''(h) Appointments.--In carrying out the pilot program under this
section, the Secretary shall ensure that medical appointments for
veterans occur during the 30-day period beginning on the date that is
15 days after the date on which the appointment is requested.
''(i) Outreach.--The Secretary shall ensure that a veteran eligible
for the pilot program under this section is informed of such
program.''; and
(5) in paragraph (2)(B) of subsection (j), as redesignated
by paragraph (3) of this section, by striking the semicolon at
the end and inserting ''; and''.
answer:
Veterans Health Care Access Received Closer to Home Act of 2014 - Expresses the sense of Congress in support of veteran-centric health care coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community providers, as well as cost-effective VA purchase of veterans' care from the private sector. Amends the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 to reauthorize a VA pilot program of contract care authority within specified Veterans Integrated Service Networks for the health care needs of veterans in highly rural areas who are enrolled in the VA annual patient enrollment system. Requires: (1) that medical appointments for veterans, under the pilot program, occur during the 30-day period beginning on the date that is 15 days after the appointment is requested, and (2) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure that eligible veterans are informed of the program.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Sacramento Valley Water Storage and
Restoration Act of 2014''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The State of California and much of the West are
experiencing one of the driest years on record, exacerbating
water supply problems caused by a lack of surface water storage
infrastructure. The drought conditions have caused reductions
in water supplies to almost all water users in the State.
(2) The Sites Project has been identified by the State of
California and the Federal Government as an important component
to integrated water management in the Sacramento Valley that
would advance the co-equal objectives of improving water
management and restoring ecological health for beneficial uses
of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento River
watershed.
(3) Among other things, the Sites Project would--
(A) increase surface water storage to enhance water
management flexibility in the Sacramento Valley;
(B) provide flood control benefits;
(C) improve conditions for fish, waterfowl, and
wildlife in the Sacramento Valley, including anadromous
fish in the Sacramento River; and
(D) improve the operation of the State's water
system to provide improvements in ecosystem and water
quality conditions in the Bay-Delta while providing a
more reliable water supply for the State of California.
(4) The Sites Project has been shown to provide
approximately 1,300,000 of additional yield when the Sites
Project is integrated into the operations of other State and
Federal reservoirs upstream of the Bay-Delta.
(5) Healthy wetlands are of vital importance to wildlife in
California and require a reliable supply of water, and
additional surface water storage can help meet water supply
goals under the Central Valley Project Improvement Act.
(6) It is in the interests of the United States for the
Federal Government to work with the Sites Project Authority,
which has been established under laws of the State of
California as an independent joint powers authority to, among
other things, study, promote, develop, design, finance,
acquire, construct, manage, and operate Sites Reservoir and
related facilities, in order to advance the Sites Project in
the most expeditious and cost-effective manner possible.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Secretary.--The term ''Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
(2) Commissioner.--The term ''Commissioner'' means the
Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.
(3) Bureau.--The term ''Bureau'' means the Bureau of
Reclamation.
(4) Authority.--The term ''Authority'' means the Sites
Project Authority that entered into a Joint Powers Agreement on
August 26, 2010, for the purpose of advancing the Sites Project
as a non-Federal facility and includes Glenn-Colusa Irrigation
District, Reclamation District 108, the Tehama-Colusa Canal
Authority, Maxwell Irrigation District, the County of Glenn,
the County of Colusa and Yolo County Flood Control and Water
Conservation District.
(5) Sites project.--The term ''Sites Project'' means the
Sites Reservoir in Glenn and Colusa Counties, California, and
related facilities, including associated water conveyance and
hydropower generation and transmission facilities.
(6) State.--The term ''State'' means the State of
California.
(7) Central valley project.--The term ''Central Valley
Project'' means all Federal reclamation projects located within
or diverting water from or to the watershed of the Sacramento
and San Joaquin rivers and their tributaries as authorized by
the Act of August 26, 1937 (50 Stat. 850), and all Acts
amendatory or supplemental thereto, including but not limited
to the Act of October 17, 1940 (54 Stat. 1198, 1199), Act of
December 22, 1944 (58 Stat. 887), Act of October 14, 1949 (63
Stat. 852), Act of September 26, 1950 (64 Stat. 1036), Act of
August 27, 1954 (68 Stat. 879), Act of August 12, 1955 (69
Stat. 719), Act of June 3, 1960 (74 Stat. 156), Act of October
23, 1962 (76 Stat. 1173), Act of September 2, 1965 (79 Stat.
615), Act of August 19, 1967 (81 Stat. 167), Act of August 27,
1967 (81 Stat. 173), Act of October 23, 1970 (84 Stat. 1097),
Act of September 28, 1976 (90 Stat. 1324) and Act of October
27, 1986 (100 Stat. 3050).
(8) Repayment and water service contracts.--The terms
''repayment contract'' and ''water service contract'' have the
same meaning as provided in sections 9(d) and 9(e) of the
Reclamation Project Act of 1939 (53 Stat. 1187, 1195), as
amended.

SEC. 4. FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

(a) Feasibility Study.--No later than June 30, 2015, the Secretary,
acting through the Bureau, shall finalize and publish in the Federal
Register, the feasibility study authorized in section 103(d)(1)(i)(II)
of title I of Public Law 108-361.
(b) Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact
Report.--No later than June 30, 2015, the Secretary shall work with the
Secretary of Commerce, the Army Corps of Engineers and the
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator to coordinate the efforts
of the relevant agencies and work with the State, the Authority, and
other stakeholders to complete and issue the final joint environmental
impact statement and environmental impact report on the Sites Project.
(c) Availability of Documents.--The Secretary shall ensure that all
documents associated with the preparation of planning and feasibility
studies and applicable environmental reviews under the National
Environmental Policy Act for the Sites Project shall be made available
to the Authority.
(d) Financial Assistance and Other Agreements.--To assist the
Secretary in meeting the deadlines for completing the feasibility study
and environmental impact statement identified in this section, no later
than 90 days following enactment, the Secretary, acting through the
Bureau, shall enter into such agreements with the Authority, including
financial assistance agreements, to carry out such work as the Bureau
and the Authority mutually agree is appropriate to ensure that all
studies and environmental reviews are completed on an expeditious basis
and that the shortest applicable process under the National
Environmental Policy Act shall be utilized, including in the completion
of the final feasibility study and final joint environmental impact
statement and environmental impact report on the Sites Project.
(e) Non-Federal Cost-Share.--The Secretary shall attribute all
funds expended, or in-kind services provided, by the Authority or the
State to advance the Sites Project, including the $42,379,999 in non-
Federal funds provided to the North-of-Delta Offstream Storage
Feasibility Study reflected in the Bureau's fiscal year 2015 Budget
Justification, to the non-Federal share of cost-share requirements for
any Federal support provided to the Sites Project.
(f) Requirements of Existing Law.--Nothing in the section herein
modifies existing requirements of Federal law.

SEC. 5. CONSTRUCTION.

(a) Authorization of Construction.--Section 103(d)(1)(B) of title I
of Public Law 108-361 (the Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization Act, 118
Stat. 1681) is amended by--
(1) adding after clause (i) the following:
''(ii) Construction authorization.--If the
Secretary determines the project described in
clause (ii)(I) of subparagraph (A) is feasible,
the Secretary is authorized to carry out the
project in a manner that is substantially in
accordance with the recommended plan, and
subject to the conditions described in the
feasibility study.'';
(2) striking in clause (iii), ''the project'' and inserting
''a project described in clause (ii)(I) of subparagraph (A)'';
and
(3) redesignating clause (ii) and (iii) as clause (iii) and
(iv), respectively.
(b) Project Partnership Agreements.--At the request of the
Authority, the Bureau shall--
(1) enter into a project partnership agreement with the
Authority for the Authority to provide full project management
control for construction of the Sites Project, or a separable
element of the project, in accordance with plans approved by
the Secretary; and
(2) following execution of the project partnership
agreement, transfer to the Authority interest to carry out
construction of the project, or a separable element of the
project--
(A) if applicable, the balance of the unobligated
amounts appropriated for the Sites Project, except that
the Secretary shall retain sufficient amounts for the
Bureau to carry out any responsibilities of the Bureau
relating to the project; and
(B) additional amounts, as determined by the
Secretary, from amounts made available to the
Secretary, except that the total amount transferred to
the non-Federal interest shall not exceed the updated
estimate of the Federal share of the cost of
construction, including any required design.
(c) Detailed Project Schedule.--Not later than 180 days after
entering into a Project Partnership agreement, the Authority, to the
maximum extent practicable, shall submit to the Secretary a detailed
project schedule, based on estimated funding levels, that lists all
deadlines for each milestone in the construction of the project.
(d) Administration.--All laws and regulations that would apply to
the Secretary if the Secretary were carrying out the project shall
apply to Authority, if the Authority enters into an agreement with the
Secretary to carry out the project under this section.

SEC. 6. NON-FEDERAL PROJECT.

(a) In General.--At any time, notwithstanding any other provision
of this Act, if the Commissioner determines and the Secretary concurs,
that the Sites Project can be expedited by the Authority as a non-
Federal project, and that there is a demonstrable Federal interest for
the Sites Project to be constructed and operated as a non-Federal
project, the Bureau is authorized and directed to take any and all
actions possible to advance the Sites Project as a non-Federal project,
including, but not limited to, entering into cost-shared financial
assistance agreements with the Authority to support construction of the
Sites Project as a non-Federal project.
(b) Title; Operations and Maintenance.--The Authority shall hold
title to all facilities constructed under this section, and shall be
solely responsible for the operation and maintenance costs of such
facilities.
(c) Federal Reviews and Permits.--The Bureau shall be the lead
Federal agency for the purposes of all Federal reviews, analyses,
opinions, statements, permits, licenses, or other approvals or
decisions required under Federal law to allow the Authority to
construct the Sites Project as a non-Federal project.
(d) Coordinated Operations.--The Secretary of the Interior is
authorized and directed to execute and implement a long-term agreement
between the United States of America and the Authority that shall
provide for the coordination of operations of the Central Valley
Project and the Sites Project to--
(1) satisfy any contracts entered into in subsection (e) of
this Act;
(2) help meet any unmet needs for Sacramento Valley in-
basin water uses;
(3) help meet any unmet needs of existing Central Valley
Project repayment and water service contracts; and
(4) ensure that any surplus water supplies from the Sites
Project are put to full and beneficial use.
(e) Contracts.--The Secretary is authorized to enter into long-term
contracts with the Authority to acquire water supplies made available
from the Sites Project for the purposes of meeting the requirements
section 3406(b)(3) and section 3408(j) of Public Law 102-575, the
Central Valley Project Improvement Act, and such other purposes as the
Secretary may deem appropriate.

SEC. 7. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND PERMITTING.

With respect to the Sites Project, the Bureau shall--
(1) be the lead Federal agency for the purposes of all
Federal reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits,
licenses, or other approvals or decisions required under
Federal law to allow either the Bureau or the Authority to
construct the Sites Project, including all requirements under--
(A) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
(B) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.); and
(C) any other Federal law applicable to the
construction of the Sites Project facilities by the
Bureau or the Authority; and
(2) take such steps as are necessary to ensure that all
Federal reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits,
licenses, or other approvals or decisions required under
Federal law to allow either the Bureau or the Authority to
construct the Sites Project are completed on an expeditious
basis and utilize the shortest applicable process.

SEC. 8. POWER GENERATION.

(a) Purchase or Market Power.--The Secretary of Energy, acting
through the Western Area Power Administration, shall determine no later
than June 30, 2015, if there is a Federal interest in--
(1) providing power to the Sites Project; and
(2) purchasing and marketing the power produced by the
Sites Project.
(b) Authorization To Provide, Market and Purchase Power.--If the
Secretary of Energy determines there is a Federal interest in providing
power to, and purchasing and marketing power from, the Sites Project,
the Secretary of Energy is authorized and directed to take such actions
as are necessary to support that determination.
(c) Permit Lead and Marketing of Power if Western Area Power
Administration Forgoes Participation in the Sites Project.--If the
Sites Project is constructed as a non-Federal project by the Authority
and the Secretary of Energy determines that there is no Federal
interest in the Western Area Power Administration managing power
provided to or emanating from the Sites Project, the Secretary of the
Interior, acting through the Bureau, is authorized and directed to
provide such support as is necessary to enable the Authority market the
energy produced by the Sites Project, including securing all permits
associated with managing power used and produced by the Sites Project.
(d) Delivery and Management of Water.--Nothing in this subsection
shall alter or impede the delivery and management of water, as water
used for hydropower generation shall be deemed incidental to uses of
water for which the Sites Project is intended to serve.

SEC. 9. COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS.

Nothing in this Act modifies or alters any obligations under--
(1) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); or
(2) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).

SEC. 10. SAVINGS CLAUSE.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed to preempt any existing
State law, including but not limited to area of origin and other water
rights protections.
answer:
Sacramento Valley Water Storage and Restoration Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to: (1) finalize and publish in the Federal Register the feasibility study authorized in the Water Supply, Reliability, and Environmental Improvement Act, for enlargement of the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County, California; (2) work with the Secretary of Commerce, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, by June 30, 2015, to coordinate the efforts of the relevant agencies and work with the state of California, the Sites Project Authority, and other stakeholders to complete and issue the final joint environmental impact statement and report on the Sites Project (the Sites Reservoir in Glenn and Colusa Counties, California, and related facilities, including associated water conveyance and hydropower generation and transmission facilities); and (3) enter into agreements with the Authority to carry out such work as the Bureau and the Authority mutually agree is appropriate to ensure that all studies and environmental reviews are completed on an expeditious basis and that the shortest applicable process under the National Environmental Policy Act is utilized, including in the completion of the final feasibility study and final joint environmental impact statement and report on the Sites Project. Amends the Calfed Bay-Delta Authorization Act to: (1) authorize construction of the Sites Reservoir in Colusa County if the Secretary determines that the project is feasible; and (2) direct the Bureau, at the Authority's request, to enter into a project partnership agreement for the Authority to provide full project management control for construction of the Sites Project, or a separable element of the Project, in accordance with plans approved by the Secretary. Authorizes and directs: (1) the Bureau to advance the Sites Project as a non-federal project if the Commissioner of the Bureau determines and the Secretary concurs that the Project can be expedited by the Authority as a non-federal project and that there is a demonstrable federal interest for the Project to be constructed and operated as a non-federal project, and (2) the Secretary to execute and implement a long-term agreement with the Authority for the coordination of operations of the Central Valley Project and the Sites Project. Directs the Bureau to: (1) be the lead federal agency for the purposes of all federal reviews, analyses, opinions, statements, permits, licenses, or other approvals or decisions required under federal law to allow either the Bureau or the Authority to construct the Sites Project; and (2) take such steps as necessary to ensure that all such reviews, approvals, or decisions required to allow either the Bureau or the Authority to construct the Sites Project are completed on an expeditious basis and utilize the shortest applicable process. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE): (1) acting through the Western Area Power Administration, to determine by no later than June 30, 2015, if there is a federal interest in providing power to, and purchasing and marketing power produced by, the Sites Project; (2) if so, to take actions to support such determination; and (3) if not, to provide such support as is necessary to enable the Authority to market the energy produced by the Project.

question:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Religious Freedom Restoration Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) The freedom to practice religion and to express
religious thought is acknowledged to be one of the fundamental
and unalienable rights belonging to all individuals.
(2) The Framers of the Constitution deliberately withheld,
in the main body of that document, any authority for the
Federal Government to meddle with the religious affairs or with
the free speech of the people. Then, as further and more
specific protection for the people, they added the first
amendment, which includes the ''establishment clause'' and the
''freedom of speech clause'' which are as follows: ''Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom
of speech . . .''. It is of utmost importance to note that the
first amendment is not a grant of authority to the Federal
Government. To the contrary, it is a specific restriction upon
the exercise of power by the Federal Government.
(3) For over 150 years, the Court held to this historically
correct position in interpreting the first amendment. During
this period, scant mention was made to ''The Separation of
Church and State''.
(4) Then, beginning in 1947, and accelerating through the
60's, the Court abruptly reversed its position. This was done
with no change in the law, either by statute or by amendment to
the Constitution. The Court invented the distorted meaning of
the first amendment utilizing the separation of ''church and
state'' in 1947 in Everson v. Board of Education when it
announced: The First Amendment has erected a wall between
church and state. That wall must be kept high and impregnable.
We could not approve the slightest breach. (Everson v. Board of
Education; 330 U.S. 1, 18 [1947]). Over the past five decades,
rulings of the United States Supreme Court have served to
infringe upon the rights of Americans to enjoy freedom of
speech relating to religious matters. Such infringements
include the outlawing of prayer in schools and of the display
of the Ten Commandments in public places. These rulings have
not reflected a neutrality toward religious denominations but a
hostility toward religious thought. They have served to
undermine the foundation of not only our moral code but our
system of law and justice.
(5) In making this abrupt change, the Court ignored all
historical precedent established previously by the Court, the
wording of the First Amendment, and the intent of its framers.
The rulings are legally irrational and without foundation.
Although the Court presumed to rely upon the First Amendment
for its authority for these rulings, a review of that Amendment
reveals that said rulings could not possibly have been based
upon its original intent. Consequently, it is incumbent upon
this Congress to review not only the rulings of the Court which
are in question but the wording and history of the First
Amendment to determine the intent of its framers. This abrupt
change is found in the following court cases:
(A) ''A verbal prayer offered in a school is
unconstitutional, even if that prayer is both voluntary
and denominationally neutral.'' (Engel v. Vitale, 1962,
Abington v. Schempp, 1963, Commissioner of Education v.
School Committee of Leyden, 1971.)
(B) ''Freedoms of speech and press are guaranteed
to students and teachers unless the topic is religious,
at which time such speech becomes unconstitutional.''
(Stein v. Oshinsky, 1965, Collins v. Chandler Unified
School District, 1981, Bishop v. Aronov, 1991, Duran v.
Nitsche, 1991.)
(C) ''It is unconstitutional for students to see
the Ten Commandments since they might read, meditate
upon, respect, or obey them.'' (Stone v. Graham, 1980,
Ring v. Grand Forks Public School District, 1980,
Lanner v. Wimmer, 1981.)
(D) ''If a student prays over his lunch, it is
unconstitutional for him to pray aloud.'' (Reed v. Van
Hoven, 1965.)
(E) ''The Ten Commandments, despite the fact that
they are the basis of civil law and are depicted in
engraved stone in the United States Supreme Court, may
not be displayed at a public courthouse.'' (Harvey v.
Cobb County, 1993.)
(F) ''When a student addresses an assembly of his
peers, he effectively becomes a government
representative; it is therefore unconstitutional for
that student to engage in prayer.'' (Harris v. Joint
School District, 1994.)
(G) By interpreting the establishment clause to
preclude prayer and other religious speech in any
public place, the Supreme Court necessarily violates
the free speech clause of the very same first amendment.
These rulings of the Court constitute de facto legislation or
Constitution-amending. This is a serious violation of the
doctrine of separation of powers, as all legislative authority
bestowed by the people through the Constitution is bestowed
upon the Congress and the Congress alone.
(6) A fundamental maxim of law is, whenever the intent of a
statute or a constitution is in question, to refer to the words
of its framers to determine their intent and use this intent as
the true intent of the law.
(7) The intent of the First Amendment was and is clear on
these two points: The Federal Government was prohibited from
enacting any laws which would favor one religious denomination
over another and the Federal Government has no power to forbid
or prohibit any mention of religion, the Ten Commandments or
reference to God in civic dialog.
(8) In its rulings to prohibit Americans from saying
prayers in school or from displaying the Ten Commandments in
public places, the Court has relied heavily upon the metaphor,
''Separation of Church and State''. Note that this phrase is
nowhere to be found in the First Amendment or any other place
in the Constitution.
(9) The metaphor, ''Separation of Church and State'', was
extracted, out of context, from a letter from Thomas Jefferson
to the Danbury Baptists in reply to a letter from them
expressing concern that the Federal Government might intrude in
religious matters by favoring one denomination over another.
Jefferson's reply was that the First Amendment would preclude
such intrusion.
(10) The Court, in its use of Separation of Church and
State, has given to this phrase a meaning never intended by its
author; it took it out of context and inverted its meaning and
intent. The complete text of Jefferson's letter is found in
Jefferson, Writings, Vol. XVI, pp. 281-282, to the Danbury
Baptist Association on January 1, 1802.
(11) Justice William Rehnquist made an extensive study of
the history of the First Amendment. In his dissent in Wallace
v. Jaffree (472 U.S. 38, 48, n. 30 [1984],) he stated: ''There
is simply no historical foundation for the proposition that the
Framers intended to build the 'wall of separation' that was
constitutionalized in Everson. . . . But the greatest injury of
the 'wall' notion is its mischievous diversion of judges from
the actual intentions of the drafters of the Bill of Rights. .
. . [N]o amount of repetition of historical errors in judicial
opinions can make the errors true. The 'wall of separation
between church and state' is a metaphor based on bad history. .
. . It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned. . . . Our
perception has been clouded not by the Constitution but by the
mists of an unnecessary metaphor. It would come as much of a
shock to those who drafted the Bill of Rights, as it will to a
large number of thoughtful Americans today, to learn that the
Constitution, as construed by the majority, prohibits the
Alabama Legislature from endorsing prayer. George Washington
himself, at the request of the very Congress which passed the
Bill of Rights, proclaimed a day of public thanksgiving and
prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts
the many and signal favors of Almighty God. History must judge
whether it was the Father of his Country in 1789, or a majority
of the Court today, which has strayed from the meaning of the
Establishment Clause.''
(12) As Justice Rehnquist states, the greatest injury of
the ''wall'' notion is its ''mischievous diversion of judges
from the actual intentions of the drafters of the Bill of
Rights. . . .'' It is necessary to review not only Jefferson's
intent in his use of this ''wall'', but his involvement or
noninvolvement in the drafting of the First Amendment, and the
intent of the framers of the First Amendment.
(13) Jefferson was neither the author of nor a coauthor of
the First Amendment. He cannot be considered as a source of
legal authority on this subject. The Court, if it had wished to
rely upon Jefferson to determine the true and original intent
of the First Amendment, could have served themselves and the
American people well by referring to Jefferson's admonition to
Judge William Johnson regarding the determination of the
original intent of a statute or a constitution: ''On every
question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when
the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested
in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be
squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to
the probable one in which it was passed.'' (Thomas Jefferson,
Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, From the Papers of
Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, editor [Boston:
Gray and Bowen, 1830, Vol. IV., p. 373,] to Judge William
Johnson on June 12, 1823).
(14) The principal authors of the First Amendment, the
record reveals, were Fisher Ames and Elbridge Gerry of
Massachusetts, not Thomas Jefferson. Others who participated
were John Vining of Delaware, Daniel Carroll and Charles
Carroll of Maryland, Benjamin Huntington, Roger Sherman and
Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, William Paterson of New
Jersey, and James Madison and George Mason of Virginia. Thomas
Jefferson is not found in the record as having participated.
(The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United
States [Washington, D.C.; Gales and Seaton, 1834], Vol. I, pp.
440-948, June 8-September 24, 1789.)
(15) George Mason, a member of the Constitutional
Convention and recognized as ''The Father of the Bill of
Rights'', submitted this proposal for the wording of the First
Amendment: ''All men have an equal, natural and unalienable
right to the free exercise of religion, according to the
dictates of conscience; and that no particular sect or society
of Christians ought to be favored or established by law in
preference to others.'' (Kate Mason Rowland, The Life of George
Mason [New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1892,] Vol I, p. 244.)
(16) The Father of the Constitution, James Madison,
submitted the following wording for the First Amendment: ''The
civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious
belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be
established.'' (The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of
the United States [Washington, D.C.; Gales and Season, 1834,]
Vol. I, p. 451, James Madison, June 8, 1789.)
(17) The true intent of the First Amendment is reflected by
the proposals submitted by Fisher Ames, George Mason and James
Madison and the wording finally adopted.
(18) Justice Joseph Story, considered the Father of
American Jurisprudence, stated in his Commentaries on the
Constitution: ''The real object of the [First A]mendment was
not to countenance, much less to advance Mohometanism [sp], or
Judaism, or infidelity by prostrating Christianity; but to
exclude all rivalry among Christian sects and to prevent any
national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a
hierarchy [a denominational council] the exclusive patronage of
the national government. (Joseph Story, Commentaries on the
Constitution of the United States [Boston; Hilliard, Gray and
Company, 1833], p. 728, par. 1871.)
(19) Proof that the intent of the framers of the First
Amendment did not intend for the Federal Government to restrict
the exercise of free speech in religious matters in civic
dialog is found in various statements by George Washington, who
was President when the Congress adopted the First Amendment.
The following is found in his ''Farewell Address'': '' . . . of
all the dispositions and habits which lead to political
prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.
In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who
should labor to subvert these great pillars of human
happiness.'' (George Washington, Address of George Washington,
President of the United States. . . . Preparatory to his
Declination [Baltimore: George and Henry S. Keatinge, 1796],
pp. 22-23.
(20) James Wilson was a very active member of the
Convention and was later appointed by President George
Washington as an original Justice on the United States Supreme
Court where he coauthored America's first legal text on the
Constitution. Wilson never mentioned a ''separation of church
and state''. To the contrary, he declared the correlation
between religion and civil laws: Far from being rivals or
enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual
assistants. (James Wilson, The Works of James Wilson, Bird
Wilson, editor. Philadelphia; Bronson and Chauncey, 1804. Vol.
I, pp. 104-106.)
(21) It was Fisher Ames of Massachusetts who provided, on
the 20th of August, 1789, the final wording for the First
Amendment as passed by the House of Representatives. Fisher
Ames, who should be considered the foremost authority on the
intent of the First Amendment, never spoke of a separation of
church and state. (Fisher Ames, Works of Fisher Ames, Boston;
T.B. Wait & Co. 1809, p. 134, 135.)
(22) Because the Court does not seem to be disposed to
correct this egregious error, it is incumbent upon the Congress
of the United States to perform its duty to support and defend
the Constitution of the United States, by the use of its
authority to apply checks and balances to other branches of the
government, when usurpations and the exercise of excesses of
power are evident. The Congress must, then, take the
appropriate steps to correct egregious problem.

SEC. 3. REMOVAL OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM-RELATED CASES FROM FEDERAL
DISTRICT COURT JURISDICTION.

(a) In General.--Chapter 85 of title 28, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
''Sec. 1369. Exclusion of jurisdiction over religious freedom-related
cases
''(a) In General.--The district courts of the United States, the
District Court of Guam, the District Court of the Virgin Islands, and
the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands shall not have
jurisdiction to hear or determine any religious freedom-related case.
''(b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
'religious freedom-related case' means any action in which any
requirement, prohibition, or other provision relating to religious
freedom that is contained in a State or Federal statute is at issue.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 85 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new item:

''1369. Exclusion of jurisdiction over religious freedom-related
cases.''.

SEC. 4. REMOVAL OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM-RELATED CASES FROM FEDERAL CLAIMS
COURT JURISDICTION.

(a) In General.--Chapter 91 of title 28, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
''Sec. 1510. Removal of jurisdiction over religious freedom-related
cases
''(a) In General.--The United States Court of Federal Claims shall
not have jurisdiction to hear or determine any religious freedom-
related case.
''(b) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
'religious freedom-related case' means any action in which any
requirement, prohibition, or other provision relating to religious
freedom that is contained in a State or Federal statute is at issue.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 91 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the
end the following new item:

''1510. Removal of jurisdiction over religious freedom-related
cases.''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

The amendments made by this Act shall apply to cases filed on or
after the date of the enactment of this Act.
answer:
Religious Freedom Restoration Act - Amends the Federal judicial code to deny the district courts of the United States, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Court of Federal Claims jurisdiction to hear or determine any case in which any requirement, prohibition, or other provision relating to religious freedom that is contained in a State or Federal statute is at issue.