Equal Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations
Federal Agencies Must Treat Faith-Based Groups Equally for Grants
What it does
Agencies must review and revise policies to ensure faith-based and community groups can compete equally for federal social-service funds and report plans within 90 days.
Real-world impact
- Allows faith-based groups to compete equally for federal social-service funding.
- Allows faith-based groups to retain religious identity and facilities while receiving funds.
- Exempts religious contractors from certain employment restrictions for contract-related work.
Topics
Summary
This order tells federal agencies to treat faith-based and community organizations equally when they apply for or receive federal financial help for social service programs. Agencies must review and change policies, collect data, and report within 90 days to the White House office in charge of faith-based initiatives.
It also clarifies that faith-based groups may keep their religious identity and must separate any worship or proselytizing from services paid with federal funds, and it changes federal contracting rules to exempt religious contractors in certain hiring situations.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”