Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressional civil rights leaders reintroduced the Do No Harm Act, to address the increasing use of religious freedom to undermine civil rights protections.  The bill restores the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to its original purpose, which is to protect religious exercise while ensuring religious freedom is not used to erode civil rights protections.

The legislation is sponsored by House Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD-08), House Committee on Education and Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03),House Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government Ranking Member Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-05), Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The legislation comes amid a sharp rise in the misapplication of RFRA to justify discrimination in a wide range of scenarios. 

The current Trump Administration is poised to supercharge the misapplication of RFRA through executive actions.  For example, on February 7, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14205 titled “Establishment of the White House Faith Office” directing the White House Faith Office to support federal agencies in providing training and education on the availability of religious exemptions. 

The Do No Harm Act limits the use of RFRA in cases involving discrimination, child labor and abuse, wages and collective bargaining, access to health care, public accommodations, and social services provided through government contracts.

“Our constitutional right to worship freely is not a right to violate the civil rights of other people,” said Ranking Member Raskin.  “That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Do No Harm Act, a bill which will make sure that we respect the universal free exercise of religion but that no one can turn it into a weapon against other people’s equality and freedom.”

“When Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in 1993, it was intended to protect religious exercise—not to erode civil rights under the guise of religious freedom.  Regrettably, we have seen RFRA repeatedly used to attack civil rights protections, deny access to health care, and allow discrimination in federal contracts and programs,” said Ranking Member Scott. “The Do No Harm Act simply provides that RFRA cannot be used to limit access to health care, deny services supported by taxpayer dollars, or undermine the Civil Rights Act or other anti-discrimination protections.  Congress must take this critical step to ensure no one can weaponize religious freedom to erode our fundamental civil and legal rights.”

“Freedom of religion is one of our country’s founding principles, but freely exercising one’s faith does not create the right to deny another person of their civil liberties,” said Senator Booker.  “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) was never meant to create a loophole for discrimination. The Do No Harm Act is critical legislation that will restore the careful balance of the First Amendment and RFRA’s original intent by ensuring that religious beliefs cannot be used to deny people of their right to live free from discrimination.

“The free exercise of religious beliefs is one of our country’s founding principles,” said Congresswoman Scanlon.  “But religious freedom laws are increasingly being weaponized to justify discrimination and undermine civil rights protections.  I’m proud to introduce the Do No Harm Act to restore the chronically misused Religious Freedom Restoration Act to its original intent – which is to provide protections for religious exercise while ensuring that RFRA is not used to erode civil rights under the guise of religious freedom.”

“Civil rights grow.  We can enforce and protect one person’s rights without sacrificing another’s.  And in so doing, we can apply our laws to expand the rights of all. We don’t need to pit one group against another,” said Congressman Cohen.  “The Do No Harm Act advances the original intent of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and corrects the courts’ misguided interpretations that have allowed the religious rights of some to be used to undermine the civil rights of others.  I’m pleased to join Congressman Scott in this effort.”

For a fact sheet on the Do No Harm Act, click here. 

For the bill text of the Do No Harm Act, click here.

For a section-by-section summary of the Do No Harm Act, click here.

For the list of the endorsing organizations of the Do No Harm Act, click here.