Pa. lawmaker introducing bill to protect right to gather for worship in emergency declarations

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Pennsylvania State House Representative is planning to introduce legislation that would prevent houses of worship from closing during emergency declarations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The legislation, proposed by Rep. Alec Ryncavage (R) would amend Pennsylvania’s Religious Freedom Protection Act. The act currently mandates that an agency shall not harm a person’s free exercise of religion.

During the 2019-20 session, Rep. Clint Owlett (R) introduced a similar bill that would have kept an emergency declaration from infringing on the right to assemble to worship or travel to a place of worship. The bill would have also prevented adverse actions against religious institutions or members for continuing to assemble during an emergency declaration.

Owlett’s bill passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support but was never considered by the Pennsylvania Senate.

Ryncavage’s bill updates the Pennsylvania Religious Freedom Protection Act language to include the right to travel and gather to exercise their religion. It also prohibits an agency from using a disaster as a way to “burden a person’s free exercise of religion.”

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