Laws: Cases and Codes : U.S. Code : Title 42 : Section 2000e-12


   

U.S. Code as of: 01/19/04
Section 2000e-12 - Notes
                                   SOURCE
    (Pub. L. 88-352, title VII, Sec. 713, July 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 265.)
                               CODIFICATION                           
      In subsec. (a), "subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5"
    substituted for "the Administrative Procedure Act" on authority of
    Pub. L. 89-554, Sec. 7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first
    section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and
    Employees.
                             RELIGIOUS LIBERTY                         
      Pub. L. 103-317, title VI, Sec. 610, Aug. 26, 1994, 108 Stat.
    1774, provided that:
      "(a) Findings. - The Congress finds that - 
        "(1) the liberties protected by our Constitution include
      religious liberty protected by the first amendment;
        "(2) citizens of the United States profess the beliefs of
      almost every conceivable religion;
        "(3) Congress has historically protected religious expression
      even from governmental action not intended to be hostile to
      religion;
        "(4) the Supreme Court has written that 'the free exercise of
      religion means, first and foremost, the right to believe and
      profess whatever religious doctrine one desires';
        "(5) the Supreme Court has firmly settled that under our
      Constitution the public expression of ideas may not be prohibited
      merely because the content of the ideas is offensive to some;
        "(6) Congress enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of
      1993 [42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.] to restate and make clear again
      our intent and position that religious liberty is and should
      forever be granted protection from unwarranted and unjustified
      government intrusions and burdens;
        "(7) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has written
      proposed guidelines to title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
      [42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.], published in the Federal Register on
      October 1, 1993, that expand the definition of religious
      harassment beyond established legal standards set forth by the
      Supreme Court, and that may result in the infringement of
      religious liberty;
        "(8) such guidelines do not appropriately resolve issues
      related to religious liberty and religious expression in the
      workplace;
        "(9) properly drawn guidelines for the determination of
      religious harassment should provide appropriate guidance to
      employers and employees and assist in the continued preservation
      of religious liberty as guaranteed by the first amendment;
        "(10) the Commission states in its proposed guidelines that it
      retains wholly separate guidelines for the determination of
      sexual harassment because the Commission believes that sexual
      harassment raises issues about human interaction that are to some
      extent unique; and
        "(11) the subject of religious harassment also raises issues
      about human interaction that are to some extent unique in
      comparison to other harassment.
      "(b) Category of Religious Harassment in Proposed Guidelines. -
    For purposes of issuing final regulations under title VII of the
    Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.] in connection
    with the proposed guidelines published by the Equal Employment
    Opportunity Commission on October 1, 1993 (58 Fed. Reg. 51266), the
    Chairperson of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission shall
    ensure that - 
        "(1) the category of religion shall be withdrawn from the
      proposed guidelines at this time;
        "(2) any new guidelines for the determination of religious
      harassment shall be drafted so as to make explicitly clear that
      symbols or expressions of religious belief consistent with the
      first amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993
      [42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq.] are not to be restricted and do not
      constitute proof of harassment;
        "(3) the Commission shall hold public hearings on such new
      proposed guidelines; and
        "(4) the Commission shall receive additional public comment
      before issuing similar new regulations."

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