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Senate committee advances state RFRA after contentious testimony and failed amendments
Summary
Senate Bill 36, which would adopt a state Religious Freedom Restoration Act mirroring the federal standard, passed the Judiciary Committee after more than an hour of pro and con testimony and several failed amendments; the final committee vote was 7–3 in favor.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7–3 to advance Senate Bill 36, a proposed Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (state RFRA) that would apply the strict‑scrutiny test to claims of religious burden by state and local governments and otherwise mirror the federal RFRA framework.
Senator Sutzler introduced the bill (LC 442920) and presented materials showing 38 states with either statutory or judicial RFRA protections and cited a 1997 U.S. Supreme Court decision that limited the federal RFRA’s reach to federal actions. He said the draft mirrors federal RFRA language and includes two changes requested by the governor’s office: a provision protecting judges from suit in their official capacity and a clarification that the statute does…
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