Iowa Religious Freedom Restoration Act (SF 508)

This law was last updated on Sep 12, 2019

State

Iowa

Number

SF 508

Status

Proposed

Mar 6, 2019

Topics

LGBTQ, Religious Freedom, RFRA

Full Bill Text

www.legis.iowa.gov

SF 508 would prohibit a government entity from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religion even if the burden results from a law of general applicability.

The bill states that a government entity shall not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion unless the government entity demonstrates that application of the burden to the person is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

A person whose exercise of religion has been burdened by a government entity in violation of this provision may assert that violation as a claim or defense in any judicial or administrative proceeding and may obtain such declaratory relief or monetary damages as may properly be awarded by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The law allows religious freedom to be raised as a defense in lawsuits between private citizens and therefore does not track the federal RFRA.

Related Legislation

Nearly identical to HF 258/SF 240.

Nearly identical to HF 2209, SF 2154 and HF 2209; all of which failed to pass in 2018.

Similar to HF 2032, HF 2200, and SF 2171, all of which failed to pass in 2016.

Latest Action

3/6/19 – Introduced by the Senate Local Government Committee.