Do No Harm Act
- Last Action
- 4/8/2019
Actions
- 2019-04-08Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
- 2019-02-28Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2019-02-28Introduced in House
- 2019-02-28Introduced in House
CRS Summary
As of 2019-02-28 (00)
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
- protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964);
- require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave;
- protect collective activity in the workplace;
- protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or
- provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or service.
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; 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.
Cosponsors (20)
- Robert Scott (D-VA)
- Val Demings (D-FL)
- DIANA DEGETTE (D-CO)
- Jackie Speier (D-CA)
- ELEANOR NORTON (D-DC)
- ALCEE HASTINGS (D-FL)
- Kathleen Rice (D-NY)
- Debbie Dingell (D-MI)
- Steve Cohen (D-TN)
- Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)
- ROSA DELAURO (D-CT)
- ADAM SMITH (D-WA)
- Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
- Ro Khanna (D-CA)
- Grace Meng (D-NY)
- Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
- Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
- Mike Quigley (D-IL)
- BETTY MCCOLLUM (D-MN)
- SHEILA JACKSON LEE (D-TX)
Subjects
- Crimes against women
- Disability and health-based discrimination
- Employee leave
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- First Amendment rights
- Health care coverage and access
- Housing discrimination
- Labor-management relations
- Religion
- Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
- Wages and earnings
- Youth employment and child labor
Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.