Advocates for Senate Bill 36 gathered at the Georgia State Capitol during the final week of the session urging lawmakers to pass the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The bill’s goal is to protect religious practice from government interference by incorporating federal RFRA principles into Georgia state law.
The bill is sponsored by Sen. Ed Setzler, R-Acworth, and 32 other Georgia Republicans.
RFRA ensures sure that if a federal law impacts a religious practice, the government must have a compelling reason to do so and must use the simplest way to address the issue. It broadly protects diverse religious practices.
Setzler said there is a gap in religious freedom protections compared to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech, press, and assembly rights in Georgia.
“People of faith in Georgia, under the current state of the law, have the lowest possible level of legal protection that exists in our system,” Setzler said.
The federal RFRA, established in 1993, limits government interference in religious practices unless a strong reason is demonstrated. Senate Bill 36 follows a similar model of the RFRA, aligning Georgia with 39 other states that have adopted similar legislation.
“Senate Bill 36, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, impacts ordinary people from unfair state and local government intrusion by exactly mirroring the language from the federal RFRA law that protects people from unfair federal government intrusion.” Setzler said.
The RFRA movement gained traction in the 1990s after the act was passed into federal law. States that have adopted RFRA legislation addressed local concerns about religious liberties, particularly for smaller or lesser-known religions.
According to Pew Research data from 2023-2024, 67% of Georgians identify as Christians, with Evangelicals representing the majority. Mainline Protestants, historically black Protestants, and Catholics make up a smaller segment of the Christian population. Individuals practicing other religions, such as Judaism and Islam, account for 7% of Georgia’s population.
Critics have pointed out Georgia’s lack of a comprehensive civil rights law. Several Georgia Democrats said the absence of detailed civil rights legislation could leave vulnerable groups unprotected even in a state RFRA law.
Setzler defended Senate Bill 36, stating that its focus is solely on religious rights without overriding local non-discrimination ordinances.
“This is not controversial,” Setzler said. “All we want is the basic right to protect our faith that we enjoy without federal government intrusion, protect us from cities, counties, Republican versus liberal.”
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