Bill Sponsor
Senate Bill 2918
115th Congress(2017-2018)
Do No Harm Act
Introduced
Introduced
Introduced in Senate on May 22, 2018
Overview
Text
Introduced
May 22, 2018
Latest Action
May 22, 2018
Origin Chamber
Senate
Type
Bill
Bill
The primary form of legislative measure used to propose law. Depending on the chamber of origin, bills begin with a designation of either H.R. or S. Joint resolution is another form of legislative measure used to propose law.
Bill Number
2918
Congress
115
Policy Area
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Primary focus of measure is discrimination on basis of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender, health or disability; First Amendment rights; due process and equal protection; abortion rights; privacy. Measures concerning abortion rights and procedures may fall under Health policy area.
Sponsorship by Party
Democrat
California
Democrat
Connecticut
Democrat
Delaware
Democrat
Illinois
Democrat
Maryland
Democrat
Massachusetts
Democrat
Massachusetts
Democrat
Minnesota
Democrat
Minnesota
Democrat
New Hampshire
Democrat
New Hampshire
Democrat
New Jersey
Democrat
New Jersey
Democrat
New Mexico
Democrat
Oregon
Democrat
Rhode Island
Democrat
Rhode Island
Democrat
Washington
Democrat
Washington
Democrat
Wisconsin
Senate Votes (0)
House Votes (0)
No Senate votes have been held for this bill.
Summary

Do No Harm Act

This bill makes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) inapplicable to federal laws (or implementations of laws) that:

  • protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, Executive Order 11246 (concerning equal employment opportunity), the Violence Against Women Act, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD's) rules entitled "Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Regardless of Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity";
  • 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.

Under current law, 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.

The bill makes RFRA inapplicable to: (1) terms requiring goods, services, functions, or activities to be performed or provided to beneficiaries of government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or awards; or (2) denials of a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation.

To assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.

Text (1)
Actions (2)
05/22/2018
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
05/22/2018
Introduced in Senate
Public Record
Record Updated
Jan 11, 2023 1:42:28 PM