Missouri Bill Relating to the Protection of Religious Organizations (SB 916)

This law was last updated on Sep 12, 2016

State

Missouri

Number

SB 916

Status

Failed to Pass

Proposed

Jan 13, 2016

Topics

Crisis Pregnancy Centers, LGBTQ, Religious Freedom

Full Bill Text

www.senate.mo.gov

SB 916 would exempt religious hospitals and schools, social service agencies and other entities from the Missouri Human Rights Act.

The Human Rights Act bars discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sex, race or religion — but it grants special exemption for religious organizations.

The bill would broaden the definition of “religious organizations” to include houses of worship and clergy members as well as:

“A religious group, society, corporation, association, entity, partnership, order, preschool, school, institution of higher education, ministry, charity, social service provider, children’s home, clinic, hospital or other health care facility, hospice, elder care facility, or crisis pregnancy center, whether or not connected to or affiliated with a church, convention, denomination or other organization of churches, and associated counseling, courses, and teaching, where said organization holds itself out to the public in whole or in part as religious and its purposes and activities are in whole or in part religious.”