Wyoming becomes 29th state to pass a Religious Freedom Restoration Act

Wyoming grew to become the most recent state to go a state model of the Non secular Freedom Restoration Act on Thursday.

Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed Home Invoice 207 into legislation following its passage in a 57-3 vote within the Republican-controlled Wyoming Home of Representatives and a 28-3 vote within the Republican-controlled Wyoming Senate.

The votes in favor of the measure got here largely from Republicans and opposition to it got here largely from Democrats. Nevertheless, one Home Republican joined Democrats in opposing it, whereas three Senate Democrats joined Republicans in supporting it.

The Wyoming Non secular Freedom Restoration Act is modeled after federal laws of the identical identify.

The coverage states: “State motion shall not considerably burden an individual’s proper to the train of faith, even when the burden outcomes from a rule of basic applicability except it’s demonstrated that making use of the burden to that particular person’s train of faith in that specific occasion” is “important to additional a compelling governmental curiosity” or “the least restrictive technique of furthering that compelling governmental curiosity.”

Examples of what constitutes a “burden” listed within the act embody “withholding of advantages” in addition to “assessing prison, civil or administrative penalties,” “exclusion from governmental packages” and “denial of entry to authorities amenities.”

The protections of the invoice will apply “to all state and native legal guidelines, ordinances, guidelines, rules and insurance policies, and their implementation, whether or not statutory or in any other case and whether or not adopted earlier than, on or after the efficient date of this act.”

One provision allows those that imagine that their “train of faith has been considerably burdened or is more likely to be considerably burdened in violation of this act” to hunt reduction in court docket. It’s scheduled to take impact on July 1. 

Greg Chafuen, senior counsel on the non secular liberty legislation agency Alliance Defending Freedom, mentioned that the brand new legislation “offers a wise balancing take a look at for courts to make use of when reviewing authorities insurance policies that infringe upon the non secular freedom rights of Wyomingites.”

“The legislation would not decide who will win each disagreement, nevertheless it does be certain that each particular person — no matter their non secular creed or political energy — receives a good listening to when authorities motion burdens an individual’s freedom to dwell out his or her non secular beliefs,” Chafuen mentioned in an announcement. “Wyoming joins 28 different states in guaranteeing that Wyomingites of all faiths can search reduction from oppressive state motion.”

Different states which have a state model of the Non secular Freedom Restoration Act on the books are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.