[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 343 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 343

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that every military 
 chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious 
  service according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 22, 2013

  Mr. Jones introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that every military 
 chaplain has the prerogative to close a prayer outside of a religious 
  service according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PROTECTION OF THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM OF MILITARY CHAPLAINS TO 
              CLOSE A PRAYER OUTSIDE OF A RELIGIOUS SERVICE ACCORDING 
              TO THE DICTATES OF THE CHAPLAIN'S CONSCIENCE.

    (a) United States Army.--Section 3547 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (b) United States Military Academy.--Section 4337 of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain's conscience.''.
    (c) United States Navy and Marine Corps.--Section 6031 of such 
title is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (d) United States Air Force.--Section 8547 of such title is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(c) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, a chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the chaplain's own conscience.''.
    (e) United States Air Force Academy.--Section 9337 of such title is 
amended--
            (1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``There''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(b) If called upon to lead a prayer outside of a religious 
service, the Chaplain shall have the prerogative to close the prayer 
according to the dictates of the Chaplain's conscience.''.
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