,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fjii  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #e1 #bjbj,mr4 
,budd 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,latta1 ,mr4   
,allen1 ,mr4 ,marshall1 ,mr4 ,norman1   
,mr4 ,bishop of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4  
,lamborn1 ,mrs4 ,hartzler1 ,mr4 ,babin1 
,mr4 ,banks1 ,mr4 ,hice of ,georgia1    
,mr4 ,aderholt1 ,mr4 ,mooney of ,west   
,virginia1 ,mr4 ,gohmert1 ,mr4 ,gaetz1  
,mr4 ,kelly of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4      
,murphy of ,north ,carolina1 ,mr4       
,meadows1 ,mr4 ,walberg1 ,mr4 ,cline1   
,mr4 ,cloud1 and ,mr4 ,abraham7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce1 and in addition to the   
,committees on ,ways and ,means1        
,education and ,labor1 and ,natural     
,resources1 for a period to be          
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to ensure equal treatment of

 faith-based organizations participating
 in programs of the ,department of      
,health and ,human ,services1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,equal         
,treatment of ,faith-,based             
,organizations ,act of #bjbj4  #b4      
,ensuring that any restrictions on the  
use of ,,hhs-financial assistance apply 
equally to faith-based and              
non-faith-based organizations ,the      
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services-- 7#a7 shall not 7including by
 means of any grant document1 agreement1
 covenant1 memorandum of understanding1 
policy1 or regulation7-- 7,a7 require   
faith-based organizations to provide an 
assurance or notice as a condition on   
receipt of financial assistance from the
 ,department of ,health and ,human      
,services 7in this ,act referred to as  
,,hhs-financial assistance7 if such     
assurance or notice is not required of a
 non-faith-based organization2  7,b7    
disqualify faith-based organizations    

from participating in any program or    
service of the ,department of ,health   
and ,human ,services because such       
organizations are motivated or          
influenced by religious faith to provide
 social services1 or because of their   
religious affiliation or exercise2 or   
7,c7 otherwise apply any requirement or 
restriction on the use of               
,,hhs-financial assistance to           
faith-based organizations unless such   
requirement or restriction is applied   
equally to non-faith-based              
organizations2 and  7#b7 shall prohibit 
each ,state or local government         
administering ,,hhs-financial assistance
 from-- 7,a7 implementing a requirement 
or restriction described in paragraph   
7#a77;,a7 or 7#a77;,c72 or  7,b7        
disqualifying a faith-based organization
 as described in paragraph 7#a77;,b74   
#c4 ,ensuring that organizations are not
 required to make certain referrals to  
alternative providers ,the ,secretary of
 ,health and ,human ,services-- 7#a7    

shall not 7including by means of any    
grant document1 agreement1 covenant1    
memorandum of understanding1 policy1 or 
regulation7 require any organization    
that provides services under a program  
supported by ,,hhs-financial assistance 
to refer a beneficiary or prospective   
beneficiary of the program to an        
alternative provider if the beneficiary 
or prospective beneficiary objects to   
the religious character of the          
organization2 and  7#b7 shall prohibit  
each ,state or local government         
administering ,,hhs-financial assistance
 from implementing a requirement        
described in paragraph 7#a74