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Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993

Public Law 103-141 · H.R. 1308 · 103rd Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Nov 16, 1993 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues

Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Schumer (D-NY-9)

Cosponsors (170): Rep. Christopher Cox,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseUnanimous consent
  • SenateRecorded vote: 97 yea, 3 nay97–3
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 - Prohibits any agency, department, or official of the United States or any State (the government) from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except that the government may burden a person's exercise of religion only if it demonstrates that application of the burden to the person: (1) furthers a compelling governmental interest; and (2) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

Sets forth provisions pertaining to judicial relief, attorney's fees, and applicability.

Declares that: (1) nothing in this Act shall be construed to interpret the clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting the establishment of religion; (2) the granting of government funding, benefits, or exemptions, to the extent permissible under that clause, shall not constitute a violation of this Act; and (3) as used in this Act, "granting" does not include the denial of government funding, benefits, or exemptions.

Who voted for it

Every senator of the 103rd Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 97 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

97 yea3 nay

Dimension 2
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(54)

  • Sen. Paul WellstoneD-MN
  • Sen. Howard MetzenbaumD-OH
  • Sen. Russell FeingoldD-WI
  • Sen. Barbara BoxerD-CA
  • Sen. Paul SimonD-IL
  • Sen. Paul SarbanesD-MD
  • Sen. George MitchellD-ME
  • Sen. Claiborne PellD-RI
  • Sen. Donald RiegleD-MI
  • Sen. Patty MurrayD-WA
  • Sen. Patrick LeahyD-VT
  • Sen. Daniel MoynihanD-NY
  • Sen. Tom HarkinD-IA
  • Sen. David PryorD-AR
  • Sen. Carol Moseley BraunD-IL
  • Sen. Daniel AkakaD-HI
  • Sen. Dale BumpersD-AR
  • Sen. Ted KennedyD-MA
  • Sen. Carl LevinD-MI
  • Sen. Jay RockefellerD-WV
  • Sen. Tom DaschleD-SD
  • Sen. Daniel InouyeD-HI
  • Sen. James SasserD-TN
  • Sen. Kent ConradD-ND
  • Sen. Joseph BidenD-DE
  • Sen. Bill BradleyD-NJ
  • Sen. Barbara MikulskiD-MD
  • Sen. John KerryD-MA
  • Sen. Christopher DoddD-CT
  • Sen. Harris WoffordD-PA
  • Sen. John GlennD-OH
  • Sen. Dianne FeinsteinD-CA
  • Sen. Wendell FordD-KY
  • Sen. Byron DorganD-ND
  • Sen. Harry ReidD-NV
  • Sen. Frank LautenbergD-NJ
  • Sen. Fritz HollingsD-SC
  • Sen. Max BaucusD-MT
  • Sen. Richard BryanD-NV
  • Sen. Bob GrahamD-FL
  • Sen. John JohnstonD-LA
  • Sen. John BreauxD-LA
  • Sen. Dennis DeConciniD-AZ
  • Sen. Charles RobbD-VA
  • Sen. Jeff BingamanD-NM
  • Sen. Herb KohlD-WI
  • Sen. David BorenD-OK
  • Sen. Joseph LiebermanD-CT
  • Sen. Ben CampbellD-CO
  • Sen. Robert KerreyD-NE
  • Sen. James ExonD-NE
  • Sen. Samuel NunnD-GA
  • Sen. Howell HeflinD-AL
  • Sen. Richard ShelbyD-AL

Republicans who voted yea(43)

  • Sen. Jim JeffordsR-VT
  • Sen. Mark HatfieldR-OR
  • Sen. John ChafeeR-RI
  • Sen. David DurenbergerR-MN
  • Sen. Arlen SpecterR-PA
  • Sen. William CohenR-ME
  • Sen. Robert PackwoodR-OR
  • Sen. Nancy KassebaumR-KS
  • Sen. Ted StevensR-AK
  • Sen. John DanforthR-MO
  • Sen. Pete DomeniciR-NM
  • Sen. John WarnerR-VA
  • Sen. Kit BondR-MO
  • Sen. Slade GortonR-WA
  • Sen. Alfonse D’AmatoR-NY
  • Sen. Richard LugarR-IN
  • Sen. Thad CochranR-MS
  • Sen. Conrad BurnsR-MT
  • Sen. Alan SimpsonR-WY
  • Sen. William RothR-DE
  • Sen. Kay HutchisonR-TX
  • Sen. Robert BennettR-UT
  • Sen. Daniel CoatsR-IN
  • Sen. Chuck GrassleyR-IA
  • Sen. Strom ThurmondR-SC
  • Sen. Frank MurkowskiR-AK
  • Sen. Orrin HatchR-UT
  • Sen. Connie MackR-FL
  • Sen. Paul CoverdellR-GA
  • Sen. Mitch McConnellR-KY
  • Sen. Robert DoleR-KS
  • Sen. Larry PresslerR-SD
  • Sen. John McCainR-AZ
  • Sen. Judd GreggR-NH
  • Sen. Trent LottR-MS
  • Sen. Phil GrammR-TX
  • Sen. Dirk KempthorneR-ID
  • Sen. Larry CraigR-ID
  • Sen. Don NicklesR-OK
  • Sen. Hank BrownR-CO
  • Sen. Bob SmithR-NH
  • Sen. Malcolm WallopR-WY
  • Sen. Lauch FairclothR-NC
Data notes

The Senate’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 331 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

  • Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee
Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 18 actions.

  1. Nov 16, 1993Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 103-141.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Nov 5, 1993PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Nov 3, 1993Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Brooks asked unanimous consent that the House agree to the Senate amendment.
  7. Oct 27, 1993FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 578 with an amendment by Yea-Nay Vote. 97-3. Record Vote No: 331.Senate roll call 331
  8. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  9. May 11, 1993FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  10. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
  11. FloorFloor · Mr. Brooks moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
  12. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
  13. Mar 24, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
  14. Mar 17, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  16. Mar 16, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Civil and Constitutional Rights Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
  17. Mar 11, 1993CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
  18. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.