BATON ROUGE—In a landmark win for religious liberty in Louisiana, the legislature has passed a bill by LA Freedom Caucus Chairwoman Beryl Amedée (R-Gray) that ensures churches face no stricter regulations than the least restrictive rules applied to secular businesses.
HB371 is an effort to safeguard faith communities. The bill was born out of frustration with our previous governor’s pandemic-era policies, which included keeping bars and abortion clinics open while shuttering churches and even arresting a pastor for holding services. More recently, our state fire marshal has demanded churches spend millions on building upgrades to host small homeschool co-ops on weekdays, despite deeming those same buildings safe for hundreds on Sundays. These inconsistencies expose a clear bias against religious institutions.
HB371 protects churches’ rights to host Vacation Bible School, Mom’s Day Out, camps, and homeschool activities without facing discriminatory restrictions. It upholds the principle that the government must have a compelling interest to burden religious exercise and ensures remedies for violations.
“This isn’t just about churches; it’s about ensuring fairness and preserving the fundamental right to worship and gather without undue interference,” said Rep. Amedee. “Religious liberty is a cornerstone of a free society, and this is a critical step toward ensuring it endures. I urge the governor to sign this bill and affirm our state’s commitment to fairness and freedom for all.”
