For Immediate Release
U.S. Rep. Blake Moore proposes legislation to protect tax-exempt status of churches
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) has introduced legislation in the 119th Congress to protect the tax-exempt status of faith-based organizations against federal infringement on their religious beliefs and practices.
As proposed by Moore on Mar. 27, the Fair Treatment of Religious Organization Act would ensure that faith-based organizations can continue applying religious standards to employees without jeopardizing their eligibility for federal funding and contracts.
That goal would be achieved by preventing federal agencies from conditioning tax benefits or funding eligibility on a religious organization’s willingness to modify its positions on marriage, sexual conduct standards or gender identity policies.
“Churches across (Utah) and our country contribute billions of dollars to the economy by providing health care, housing and a wide range of social services,” according to Moore. “They also strengthen our communities by helping Americans find purpose and meaning.
“The Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act builds on that foundation by establishing clear, enforceable standards that protect religious beliefs and practices while preventing the government from weaponizing tax-exempt status or federal funding eligibility against these organizations.”
Moore’s staff in Washington say that the impulse behind the Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act can be found in thorny questions left in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Bostock v. Clayton County (2020). In that decision, the Supreme Court held that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act provides the concrete statutory protections that the Bostock ruling suggested were needed, but did not deliver. Rather than leaving religious organizations dependent on case-by-case litigation or shifting administrative interpretations, the bill establishes clear, enforceable standards ensuring that religious beliefs and practices concerning marriage, sexuality and gender identity cannot be weaponized to strip organizations of their tax-exempt status or federal funding eligibility.
Moore’s proposed legislation is also supported by national advocacy groups including the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the Christian Employers Alliance, the American Principles Project and the Christian Legal Society.
Media inquiries: media@christianemployersalliance.org