Military Religious Freedom Protection Act - Requires the sincerely held religious or moral beliefs of a member of the Armed Forces concerning the appropriate and inappropriate expression of human sexuality to be accommodated and not the basis of any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment (adverse actions).
Prohibits a military chaplain from being directed, ordered, or required to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, or function (ceremony) that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or religious beliefs (beliefs) of the chaplain or the chaplain's faith group. Prohibits the refusal of a chaplain to perform a ceremony that is contrary to such beliefs from being the basis of any adverse actions.
Requires the Secretary of Defense to issue regulations setting forth guidance to implement such requirements and prohibitions.
Prohibits a military installation or other property owned, rented, or otherwise under the jurisdiction or control of the Department of Defense (DOD) from being used to officiate, solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like ceremony involving anything other than the union of one man with one woman.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 914 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 914
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that implementation
of the repeal of the former Department of Defense policy concerning
homosexual behavior in the Armed Forces not infringe upon the free
exercise of religion by and the rights of conscience of members of the
Armed Forces, including chaplains, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 28, 2013
Mr. Huelskamp (for himself, Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Walberg, Mrs.
Hartzler, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Jordan, and Mr. Gohmert) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to require that implementation
of the repeal of the former Department of Defense policy concerning
homosexual behavior in the Armed Forces not infringe upon the free
exercise of religion by and the rights of conscience of members of the
Armed Forces, including chaplains, and for other purposes.
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 ``Military Religious Freedom
Protection Act''.
SEC. 2. PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF CONSCIENCE OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED
FORCES AND CHAPLAINS.
(a) Protection.--Chapter 53 of title 10, United States Code, is
amended by inserting after section 1034 the following new section:
``Sec. 1034a. Protection of rights of conscience of members of the
Armed Forces and chaplains
``(a) Protection of Rights of Conscience.--The sincerely held
religious or moral beliefs of a member of the Armed Forces concerning
the appropriate and inappropriate expression of human sexuality shall
be accommodated and shall not be the basis of any adverse personnel
action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or
assignment. Nothing in this subsection precludes disciplinary action
for conduct that is proscribed by chapter 47 of this title (the Uniform
Code of Military Justice).
``(b) Protection of Chaplains.--(1) A military chaplain is a
certified religious leader or clergy of a faith community who, after
satisfying the professional and educational requirements of the
commissioning service, is commissioned as an officer in the Chaplains
Corps of one of the branches of the Armed Forces. A chaplain is a
representative of the chaplain's faith group, who remains accountable
to the sending faith group for the chaplain's religious ministry to
members of the Armed Forces, to--
``(A) provide for the religious and spiritual needs of
members of the Armed Forces of that faith group; and
``(B) facilitate the religious needs for other faith
groups.
``(2) A military chaplain shall not be directed, ordered, or
required to perform any duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service, or
function that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or
religious beliefs of the chaplain or contrary to the moral principles
or religious beliefs of the chaplain's faith group. The refusal by a
military chaplain to perform a duty, rite, ritual, ceremony, service,
or function that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles, or
religious beliefs of the chaplain or contrary to the moral principles
or religious beliefs of the chaplain's faith group shall not be the
basis for any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of
promotion, schooling, training, or assignment.
``(c) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense shall issue
regulations setting forth guidance to implement the protections
afforded by this section.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section
1034 the following new item:
``1034a. Protection of rights of conscience of members of the Armed
Forces and chaplains.''.
SEC. 3. USE OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS SITE FOR MARRIAGE CEREMONIES
OR MARRIAGE-LIKE CEREMONIES.
A military installation or other property owned, rented, or
otherwise under the jurisdiction or control of the Department of
Defense shall not be used to officiate, solemnize, or perform a
marriage or marriage-like ceremony involving anything other than the
union of one man with one woman.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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