Opinion ID: 867297
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: fera

Text: ¶ 8 The legislature passed FERA in 1999 to protect Arizona citizens' right to exercise their religious beliefs free from undue governmental interference. 1999 Ariz. Sess. Laws, ch. 332, § 2 (1st Reg.Sess.). FERA parallels RFRA, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000bb to 2000bb-4, a federal act that also protects free exercise rights, but does not apply to the states. City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U.S. 507, 534-36, 117 S.Ct. 2157, 138 L.Ed.2d 624 (1997). ¶ 9 The operative portion of FERA permits the government to burden the exercise of religion only if the application of the burden to the person is both ... [i]n furtherance of a compelling governmental interest [and][t]he least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest. A.R.S. § 41-1493.01(C) (2004). The government's violation of this section provides a defense in a judicial proceeding. Id. § 41-1493.01(D).