Religious Freedom Restoration Act

E5195

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act is a 1993 U.S. federal law that aims to protect individuals’ religious practices from substantial government burdens unless justified by a compelling governmental interest pursued through the least restrictive means.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
religious freedom law
appliesTo federal government actions
codifiedAt 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb
42 U.S.C. § 2000bb-1
42 U.S.C. § 2000bb-4
codifiedIn United States Code
country United States of America
surface form: "United States"
dateSigned 1993-11-16
effectiveDate 1993-11-16
enactedBy 103rd United States Congress
hasSection 42 U.S.C. § 2000bb-1(a)
42 U.S.C. § 2000bb-1(b)
42 U.S.C. § 2000bb-1(c)
heldUnconstitutionalAsTo state and local governments
influenced state Religious Freedom Restoration Acts
legalTestRestored Sherbert test
compelling interest test for free exercise claims
limitedByCourtCase City of Boerne v. Flores
limitedByCourtCaseYear 1997
motivatedBy Employment Division v. Smith
originallyAppliedTo federal government
state governments
protects religious exercise of individuals
religious exercise of other entities
religious exercise of religious organizations
provides affirmative defense in judicial proceedings
cause of action for individuals
publicLawNumber Public Law 103-141
purpose to protect the free exercise of religion
to provide a claim or defense to persons whose religious exercise is substantially burdened by government
to restore the compelling interest test for laws burdening religious exercise
relatedTo First Amendment to the United States Constitution
Free Exercise Clause
requiresShowing substantial burden on religious exercise
shortName Religious Freedom Restoration Act
surface form: "RFRA"
signedBy Bill Clinton
sponsorInHouse Charles Schumer
sponsorInSenate Edward M. Kennedy
surface form: "Ted Kennedy"
standardImposedOnGovernment compelling governmental interest
least restrictive means
statutesAtLargeCitation 107 Stat. 1488
stillAppliesTo federal government agencies
federal law
supportedBy bipartisan coalition
civil liberties groups
religious organizations
yearEnacted 1993

Referenced by (19)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Public Law 103-141 alsoKnownAs Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "RFRA of 1993"
Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act basedOn Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Public Law 103-141 citationStyle Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "RFRA"
103rd United States Congress enactedLaw Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Employment Division v. Smith hasSubsequentLegislationInfluenced Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Public Law 103-141 hasTitle Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Sherbert test influenced Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Sherbert v. Verner influenced Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Native American Church legalProtection Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Free Exercise Clause relatedLegislation Religious Freedom Restoration Act
American Indian Religious Freedom Act Amendments of 1994 relatedTo Religious Freedom Restoration Act
American Indian Religious Freedom Act of 1978 relatedTo Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Cutter v. Wilkinson relatedTo Religious Freedom Restoration Act
Public Law 106-274 relatedTo Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Religious Freedom Restoration Act shortName Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "RFRA"
Public Law 103-141 shortTitle Religious Freedom Restoration Act
City of Boerne v. Flores statuteAtIssue Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. statuteInterpreted Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993"
Public Law 106-274 title Religious Freedom Restoration Act
this entity surface form: "An Act To protect religious liberty, and for other purposes"

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