[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4650 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4650

  To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include 
   several additions to the many forms of violations of the right to 
                           religious freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2014

 Mr. Stockman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include 
   several additions to the many forms of violations of the right to 
                           religious freedom.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``European Union Religious Freedom 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

    Congress finds as follows:
            (1) There is a growing assault on religious freedom in the 
        European Union.
            (2) The European Union member states of Bulgaria, Croatia, 
        Germany, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Sweden prohibit 
        homeschooling. This prohibition often infringes upon the 
        traditional interests of parents regarding the religious 
        upbringing of their children. This is especially true with 
        regard to adherents of minority religions, such as small 
        Protestant Christian denominations.
            (3) The European Union member states of Sweden and Denmark 
        have banned religious methods of meat production, including the 
        Jewish kosher method of shechitah and the Islamic halal method 
        of dhabihah. This effectively prevents religiously observant 
        Jews and Muslims from eating meat produced in those countries, 
        and requires them to import it at higher cost. Many other 
        European Union member states are considering similar bans.
            (4) The European Union member state of Sweden has imposed 
        restrictions on performing circumcision, and many European 
        Union member states are considering banning this practice 
        entirely. This would impose a substantial burden on the 
        religious practices of Jews and Muslims, and would undoubtedly 
        cause many to feel compelled to immigrate to countries with 
        less offensive laws.
            (5) The European Union member state of France has banned 
        the wearing of religious garb in public schools. This imposes a 
        substantial burden on the religious practices of many 
        religions, including Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, and members of 
        Catholic monastic orders, among others.

SEC. 3. GENERAL AUTHORIZATION.

     Section 2(a)(4) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 
(22 U.S.C. 6401(a)(4)) is amended in the fourth sentence by inserting 
``, including homeschooling,'' after ``prohibitions against the pursuit 
of education'', and inserting ``prohibition of religious methods of 
meat production, prohibition of circumcision, prohibition of wearing 
religious garb'' after ``or public office''.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

     The provisions of this Act shall take effect immediately following 
enactment.
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