The Daily Fuckup

The Justice Department on July 23 issued updated religious-liberty guidance for executive departments and agencies, saying it is the first department-wide update to the 2017 memo in nearly a decade.

The new guidance says agencies should make sure their actions comply with the Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Title VII and other applicable federal laws. It also says religious exercise can include belief, worship and conduct in daily life, and that agencies should accommodate that exercise when the law allows and accommodation is practicable.

The document reaches beyond internal personnel rules. It tells agencies to weigh religious-liberty effects when drafting regulations and policies, to designate officials to review proposed actions for compliance, and to account for public comments raising religious-liberty concerns. It also covers federal programs, contracting and enforcement decisions.

The department separately pointed to recent Office of Legal Counsel opinions on workplace religious expression and accommodation, including scheduling issues and expression on the job. It also said the update reflects recent Supreme Court precedent involving parental rights, church autonomy and the treatment of religious organizations in government programs.