Bill to End Discrimination Against Houses of Worship Moves One Step Closer to House Vote

WASHINGTON – Language allowing houses of worship to receive vital federal disaster assistance was included in the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (H.R. 4460), which passed out of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday by a voice vote.

"Five years after Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples, and months after hurricanes pounded Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, houses of worship are still not permitted to receive disaster relief funding from FEMA," stated U.S. Rep. Meng (D-NY), co-author of the original legislation giving houses of worship access to the relief. "This continues to be extremely unfair and it's way past time to change this misguided policy. Our provision—which first passed the House in 2013 as the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act—would finally accomplish that goal, and I urge all my colleagues in the House to support it. Many houses of worship provide critical assistance to the communities in which they are located. These include crucial services such as child care, food pantries and other vital programs. They must no longer be treated differently than other nonprofit entities."

"We are thankful that critical language allowing disaster relief to go to churches, synagogues, and mosques was included in the disaster reform bill," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the original legislation giving churches access to the relief, stated. "They have been centers of service for communities devastated by natural disasters, like after Superstorm Sandy in 2012, or Hurricane Harvey just this year, providing food, supplies, counseling and other aid despite often suffering damage to their own facilities; they should not be shut out of needed relief and should be treated like other non-governmental organizations."

The bill that was advanced on Thursday included the exact language from the bipartisan bill The Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2017(H.R. 2405), introduced in May by Smith and lead Democrat Meng, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ).

That bill enabled houses of worship, currently shut out of receiving federal disaster assistance because of their religious status, to have equal access to this critical aid as secular groups have. Under the bill, FEMA would judge the eligibility of churches and religious groups for disaster relief as they would for all private-non-profits, regardless of their religious status.

"This legislation is critical. Organizations should not be denied federal assistance in times of need just because of their religious affiliations," Rep. King stated.

"I am thankful that language was included to allow houses of worship to be eligible for disaster relief and emergency assistance on terms equal to others," Rep. Franks stated. "In light of the numerous natural disasters that have blighted our nation during the last weeks, those communities affected rely on special assistance from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds to get back up and running. As it stands, FEMA discriminates against nonprofits that are religious in nature – churches and synagogues, for example – by denying them applications for grant funding to help them rebuild. Our religious communities are the backbone for charity and public service in our nation. They are our ‘little platoons' ready to help the public in troubling times."

Recently, the Administration had expressed its support for this policy in its $44 billion request to House leadership for hurricane recovery efforts:

"In addition, the Administration notes its support for legislation that would make houses of worship eligible for disaster relief funding (provided they meet the other relevant criteria for private non-profit facilities) and offers technical assistance regarding the timeframe for applicability," Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget, stated in a letter to Speaker Ryan.

Smith, Meng, and King originally introduced the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R. 592) after Superstorm Sandy inflicted billions of dollars of damage to the Northeast and houses of worship were barred from receiving FEMA assistance. A consortium of faith-based entities, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Republican Jewish Coalition, Christian Legal Society, Agudath Israel of America, the International Conference of Evangelical Christian Endorsers, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America have come out in support of the policy proposal. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly 354-72, before being held up in the Senate. In 2015, Smith, Meng, and King reintroduced the act as HR 3066.