HCSHB1959--MISSOURIRELIGIOUSFREEDOMPROTECTIONACT
SPONSOR: Riley
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheSpecial
CommitteeonGovernmentAccountability byavoteof9to6.
Thisbillestablishesthe"MissouriReligiousFreedomProtection
Act".Thebillprovidesthatnopublicofficialmayissueanorder
thathastheeffectoflimitingorprohibitingareligiousgroupor
placeofworshipfromholdingreligiousservicesormeetings. This
prohibitiondoesnotapplytoreligiousgroupsusingplacesof
worshiptointentionallycommitorplanactsofviolence. This
prohibitionalsodoesnotapplytoemergencyevacuationorders
involvingimminentdangerfromflooding,fires,tornadoes,
earthquakes,terroriststhreats,civilunrest,orhazardous
materialsincidents. Oncetheimminentdangerhaspassed,
religiousservicesshallbeallowedtoresume.Thisprohibition
isnotbeinterpretedtoexemptplacesofworshipfromcomplying
withapplicablebuildingandfirecodes.
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatfiveyearsago,theneedto
addressinfringementsonreligiousfreedomwasn'tapparent.
However,theCOVID-19pandemicandsubsequentlockdownsledto
governmententitiesclosingplacesofworship. Thisaction
violatespeople'srightstoworshipastheychoose.InMissouri,
it'scrucialtoprioritizecitizens'rightstoassembleandworship
freely.Whiletheremaybeexemptionsforsecurityreasons,places
ofworshipofferuniqueservicessuchasfoodpantriesandaidfor
thehomeless. Governmentshutdownsoftheseestablishments are
highlyinappropriate, particularlyconsideringthementalhealth
benefitsassociatedwithattendingreligiousservices.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwasRepresentative Riley.
OPPONENTS: Thosewhoopposethebillsaythatreligious
organizationsshouldnotreceiveexemptionsfromregulations
applicabletootherentities. Thevirusremainsindifferentto
whetheroneisworshipingorengaginginrecreationalactivities.
Numerousinstanceshaveshownchurchesservingashubsforvirus
transmission. Therefore,Sections6and7oftheproposedbill
underscorethenecessityofpublichealthregulationstosafeguard
thelivesandrightsofallindividuals. TestifyinginpersonagainstthebillwereAmericansUnitedfor
SeparationofChurchandState;BrianKaylor,Word&Way;
Armorvine;AbortionActionMissouri(FormerlyProChoiceMissouri);
andtheAmericanCivilLibertiesUnionofMissouri.
ThisbillisthesameasHB293(2023).
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.