[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 117 (Friday, August 1, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10910-S10911]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. ALLARD:
  S. 1558. A bill to restore religious freedoms; to the Committee on 
the Judiciary.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 1558

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

[[Page S10911]]

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Religious Liberties 
     Restoration Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Declaration of Independence declares that 
     governments are instituted to secure certain unalienable 
     rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
     happiness, with which all human beings are endowed by their 
     Creator and to which they are entitled by the laws of nature 
     and of nature's God.
       (2) The organic laws of the United States Code and the 
     constitutions of every State, using various expressions, 
     recognize God as the source of the blessings of liberty.
       (3) The first amendment to the Constitution secures rights 
     against laws respecting an establishment of religion or 
     prohibiting the free exercise thereof made by the Federal 
     Government.
       (4) The rights secured under the first amendment have been 
     interpreted by the Federal courts to be included among the 
     provisions of the 14th amendment.
       (5) The 10th amendment reserves to the States, 
     respectively, the powers not delegated to the Federal 
     Government nor prohibited to the States.
       (6) Disputes and doubts have arisen with respect to public 
     displays of the Ten Commandments and to other public 
     expression of religious faith.
       (7) Section 5 of the 14th amendment grants Congress the 
     power to enforce the provisions of the 14th amendment.
       (8) Article III, section 2 of the Constitution grants 
     Congress the authority to except certain matters from the 
     jurisdiction of the Federal courts inferior to the Supreme 
     Court.

     SEC. 3. RELIGIOUS LIBERTY RIGHTS DECLARED.

       (a) Display of Ten Commandments.--The power to display the 
     Ten Commandments on or within property owned or administered 
     by the several States or political subdivisions of such 
     States is among the powers reserved to the States, 
     respectively.
       (b) Word ``God'' in Pledge of Allegiance.--The power to 
     recite the Pledge of Allegiance on or within property owned 
     or administered by the several States or political 
     subdivisions of such States is among the powers reserved to 
     the States, respectively. The Pledge of Allegiance shall be, 
     ``I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of 
     America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation 
     under God, indivisible, with Liberty and justice for all.''.
       (c) Motto ``In God We Trust''.--The power to recite the 
     national motto on or within property owned or administered by 
     the several States or political subdivisions of such States 
     is among the powers reserved to the States, respectively. The 
     national motto shall be, ``In God we trust''.
       (d) Exercise of Congressional Power To Except.--The subject 
     matter of subsections (a), (b), and (c) are excepted from the 
     jurisdiction of Federal courts inferior to the Supreme Court.
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