A bill introduced two weeks ago providing houses of worship with greater protection from burdensome zoning laws cleared both houses of Congress July 27 as lawmakers began a month-long recess.
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) would also give persons in government-run prisons, hospitals and group homes greater protection for religious exercises that sometimes conflict with broad, generally applicable rules.
It was sought by a reunited coalition of more than 50 religious and civil liberties groups that was formed to pass the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Parts of RFRA failed a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court in 1997. The religious land use bill is the second bill introduced to respond to that Supreme Court decision.
The measure cleared by unanimous consent in the Senate and was literally walked over to the House chamber where it was unanimously approved minutes before House lawmakers adjourned for the August recess.
The bill now heads to President Clinton, who is expected to sign it into law. The administration has issued statements in support of the bill.
It was introduced July 13 and has broad bipartisan backing. Its sponsors included Reps. Charles Canady, R-Fla., Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and Chet Edwards, D-Texas, as well as Sens. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Tom Dsachle, D-S.D.
When introducing the measure, sponsors described instances of vity officials seeking to limit the number of worshipers at churches and pressuring houses of worship to shut down soup kitchens.
The bill does not exempt churches from zoning regulations, but it would require zoning officials to have a compelling reason when they substantially burden religious exercise.
It also would require zoning officials to treat religious applicants at least as well as secular ones.
The Baptist Join Committee, which chaired the religious coalition, issued a July 28 statement applauding the measure’s passage.
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