[House Report 105-563]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



105th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 2d Session                                                     105-563
_______________________________________________________________________


 
PROVIDING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 78, PROPOSING 
    AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES RESTORING 
                           RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

                                _______
                                

    June 3, 1998.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

   Mrs. Myrick, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 453]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 453, by a non-record vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

               brief summary of provisions of resolution

    The resolution provides for the consideration of House 
Joint Resolution 78, ``Proposing an Amendment to the 
Constitution of the United States Restoring Religious Freedom'' 
under a modified closed rule. The rule provides that the joint 
resolution shall be considered in the House, considered as 
read, and that the amendment in the nature of a substitute 
recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in 
the joint resolution shall be considered as adopted.
    The rule provides that the previous question shall be 
considered as ordered on the joint resolution, as amended, and 
on any further amendment thereto to final passage without 
intervening motion except as specified. The rule provides for 
two hours of debate on the joint resolution, as amended, 
equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority 
member of the Committee on the Judiciary. The rule provides for 
consideration of a further amendment printed in this report, 
which may be offered only by the Member designated in the 
report, shall be considered as read, and shall be separately 
debatable for one hour equally divided between the proponent 
and an opponent. Finally, the rule provides one motion to 
recommit with or without instructions.

               Brief Description of the Bishop Amendment

    The first portion of the Bishop Amendment would establish 
as the amendment's purpose to secure the people's right to 
``freedom of religion'' as opposed to the Committee's version 
which would secure the people's right to ``acknowledge God''. 
Because ``God'' is a term used in western religions to refer to 
a diety but other religious faiths use other terms such as 
Allah, Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma (Hinduism), and Kami (Shintoism). 
Some, such as Taoism are not centered about a diety.
    The second portion of the Bishop Amendment would simply 
remove the ``deny equal access to a benefit'' language and 
prohibit the United States or any State from requiring any 
person to join in prayer or other religious activity, prescribe 
school prayers, or otherwise compel or discriminate against 
religion.
    This would eliminate a lightning rod for litigation over 
what constitutes denial of equal access to a benefit on account 
of religion.

 The Amendment to Be Offered by Representative Bishop of Georgia or a 
            Designee, Debatable for Not To Exceed 60 Minutes

    Page 3, line 18, strike ``acknowledge God'' and insert 
``freedom of religion''.
    Page 4, beginning in line 1, strike ``discriminate against 
religion, or deny equal access to a benefit on account of 
religion'' and insert ``or otherwise compel or discriminate 
against religion''.

                                
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