Georgia House passes Religious Freedom bill after hours of heated debate

The Georgia House passed Senate Bill 36 on Thursday, adopting a state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) that requires the government to show a compelling interest and use the least-restrictive means before substantially burdening an individual’s religious exercise.

Supporters said the measure simply extends the federal RFRA standard to state and local government actions. "This measure reaffirms a bedrock principle that no Georgian should have their sincere religious exercise substantially burdened by the government without a compelling reason," Representative Will Wade said on the floor.

Opponents said the bill creates a risk of legal claims that could be used to justify discrimination and could generate costly litigation. "This bill opens the door to dangerous consequences, particularly for the civil rights of marginalized communities across our state," Representative Representative Willis said, adding that similar measures have prompted business backlash and legal disputes in other states.

Debate in the chamber ran late and drew numerous speakers on both sides. Representative Tyler Paul Smith, who presented the bill for the sponsor, emphasized the bill’s focus on government burdens and said it is not intended to permit private discrimination: "This is dealing with government burdening the free exercise of religion in this state. This is not a license for a private citizen to discriminate against another private citizen."

Lawmakers from both parties described concerns about unintended consequences, including potential conflicts with Georgia’s recent reproductive-health legislation and protections for minority faiths. Representative Park Cannon and other members said they feared the measure could be used to challenge public-health or civil-rights policies. Representative Panitch argued the bill would not protect minority religions and could undermine recently passed anti‑Semitism measures.

Despite the objections and a lengthy minority report, the House recorded 96 yeas and 70 nays on final passage. The measure now goes forward per the chamber’s legislative process.

Lawmakers urged caution about the bill’s downstream effects on businesses, courts and communities, while supporters said the law restores parity with other First Amendment protections by giving Georgians a state-level remedy when a state or local government action substantially burdens religion.

The vote came after nearly an hour of presentations from both sides, as well as floor colloquies about prior federal RFRA history and case law. The bill’s supporters urged colleagues to trust the courts to apply a high standard before any burden on religious exercise could be upheld.

As the House adjourned for the night, members on both sides said they would continue discussions about amendments and legal implications in coming days.