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HB 1536 would further protect religious freedom by prohibiting any government entity from substantially burdening a person's free exercise of religion, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability.
01/04/2012 (House) Introduced and referred to the Constitutional Review and Statutory Recodification Committee
02/07/2012 (House) Public Hearing at 10:00 a.m. in Legislative Office Building (LOB) 206.
02/14/2012 (House) Executive Session at 2:30 p.m. in LOB 206
02/17/2012 (House) Committee recommendation: Inexpedient to Legislate (ITL)
03/07/2012 (House) Voted ITL
On June 25, 1997, by a 6-3 majority, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in The City of Boerne v. Flores that the 1993 federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) was unconstitutional. By doing this, the Court gave the lowest level of protection to religious liberty. Under this minimal standard, the state can override a citizen’s right to freely exercise his or her religious beliefs by simply proving that its regulation is “reasonable.” Since nearly all state regulations can be determined to be “reasonable,” religious freedom is exceedingly limited.
This bill would restore stronger protection to religious freedom in New Hampshire.
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