Do No Harm Act

H.R. 2725, the Do No Harm Act, seeks to limit the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) in specific areas of federal law. Under current law, RFRA allows individuals and organizations to seek exemptions from federal rules if they can prove those rules substantially burden their religious exercise. This bill would prevent RFRA from being used to bypass federal laws related to civil rights, labor standards, and healthcare.

For citizens, the practical impact of this bill would be to ensure that federal protections—such as anti-discrimination laws, minimum wage requirements, and access to healthcare services—remain uniform regardless of an employer's or provider's religious objections. It specifically aims to prevent religious exemptions from being used to deny government-funded services to beneficiaries or to waive protections against child labor and workplace discrimination. Additionally, the bill mandates that the government must be a party to any legal proceeding where a person attempts to use RFRA as a claim or defense.