[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1279 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1279

To prohibit the revocation or withholding of Federal funds to programs 
      whose participants carry out voluntary religious activities.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 11, 2013

 Ms. Landrieu introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit the revocation or withholding of Federal funds to programs 
      whose participants carry out voluntary religious activities.

    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 ``Freedom to Pray Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON WITHHOLDING FEDERAL FUNDS TO PROGRAMS WHOSE 
              PARTICIPANTS CONDUCT VOLUNTARY RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES.

    (a) In General.--It shall be unlawful for the Federal Government to 
revoke or withhold Federal financial assistance that would otherwise be 
provided to any recipient of such assistance on the basis of religious 
activities that are conducted voluntarily and initiated by participants 
in a program or activity carried out by such recipient.
    (b) Rules of Construction.--Nothing in this Act shall be construed 
to authorize the United States or any State or political subdivision 
thereof--
            (1) to sponsor a religious activity;
            (2) to prohibit a recipient of Federal financial assistance 
        from ensuring that a religious activity does not materially and 
        substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of the program 
        or activities carried out by such recipient;
            (3) to require any person to participate in prayer or other 
        religious activity; or
            (4) to compel any employee or agent of a program or 
        activity that is carried out by a recipient of Federal 
        financial assistance to participate in an activity if the 
        content of the speech at the activity is contrary to the 
        beliefs of the employee or agent.
                                 <all>