Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026

Blake D. Moore

Republican · UT · Representative

Source: Congress.gov · FEC

• Ben Cline (R-VA-6)Original· 2026-03-26
• Burgess Owens (R-UT-4)Original· 2026-03-26
• Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24)Original· 2026-03-26
• David Schweikert (R-AZ-1)Original· 2026-03-26
• Lance Gooden (R-TX-5)Original· 2026-03-26
• Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-1)Original· 2026-03-26
• Russ Fulcher (R-ID-1)Original· 2026-03-26
• Tracey Mann (R-KS-1)· 2026-03-27
• W. Gregory Steube (R-FL-17)· 2026-03-30
• Glenn Grothman (R-WI-6)· 2026-04-09
• Tim Walberg (R-MI-5)· 2026-04-09
• Mark Alford (R-MO-4)· 2026-04-30

Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

2026-03-26

Source: Congress.gov

This bill would protect religious organizations from discrimination in federal programs and tax treatment, ensuring they receive equal access to government funding and benefits available to similar non-religious groups. It likely addresses concerns that religious nonprofits, churches, and faith-based charities face barriers when applying for federal grants, contracts, or tax-exempt status compared to secular organizations doing similar work. The bill affects religious institutions, their employees, and potentially the federal agencies that distribute funding and oversee tax-exempt organizations.

AI-assisted summary generated from the official bill metadata (title, subjects, actions) sourced from Congress.gov. Cached and reviewed. Always verify against the official text linked below.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8117 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8117 To ensure fair treatment of certain charitable organizations and recipients of Federal financial assistance, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 26, 2026 Mr. Moore of Utah (for himself, Mr. Cline, Mr. Fulcher, Mr. Gooden, Ms. Tenney, Mr. Owens, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Schweikert) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To ensure fair treatment of certain charitable organizations and recipients of Federal financial assistance, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. DETERMINATION OF RELIGIOUS PURPOSE FOR PURPOSES OF TAX-EXEMPT STATUS. (1) In general.--Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: ``(s) Determination of Religious Purpose.-- ``(1) In general.--For purposes of this section, any determination of whether a purpose is a religious purpose shall be made without regard to the organization's religious beliefs or practices concerning marriage, sexuality, or gender identity, and without regard to whether such beliefs or practices are otherwise inconsistent with law or public policy. ``(2) Interpretation of religious belief.--A belief shall not fail to be treated as a religious belief for purposes of paragraph (1) merely because such belief is not compelled by or central to a system of religion.''. (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. SEC. 3. NONDISCRIMINATORY FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. No branch, department, or agency of the Federal Government shall, with respect to any employer that is a religious corporation, religious association, religious educational institution, or religious society that applies for or receives Federal grants, loans, or other financial assistance under a contract or subcontract, grant, purchase order, or cooperative agreement with the Federal Government, discriminate against or disadvantage such employer for employment actions or practices consistent with the right to employ persons who share the religious beliefs and comply with the religious standards of the employer, including the exemptions and defenses described in sections 702(a) and 703(e)(2) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-1(a) and 42 U.S.C. 2000e-2(e)(2)), section 103(d) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12113(d)), the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.), and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. <all>

• HR6949Upward Mobility Act of 2026
  Referred to Committee · 2026-05-20
• HR8780Critical Mineral and Extraction Tax Parity Act
  Referred to Committee · 2026-05-13
• HR8757Promoting Childhood Independence and Resilience Act of 2026
  Referred to Committee · 2026-05-12
• HR8623GUARD Act
  Referred to Committee · 2026-04-30