HB1615

House Bill 1615, titled the 'Conscience Protection Act,' seeks to strengthen protections for the exercise of religious beliefs within Arkansas. It amends the state's existing Religious Freedom Restoration Act by broadening definitions related to religious exercise and defining 'substantially burden' to include penalties or the loss of state benefits. The bill mandates that any governmental action burdening a person's religious exercise must be the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling government interest. Additionally, the bill creates a new subchapter, 'Religious Nondiscrimination,' which prohibits state government entities from taking discriminatory actions against religious organizations or entities based on their religious identity or conduct. It explicitly includes within its scope religious-based beliefs regarding biological sex and marriage. The legislation provides legal remedies for individuals and entities to claim or defend against government actions that infringe upon these protections, including the recovery of attorney's fees. It also waives sovereign immunity for certain legal actions and requires that the act be construed to provide broad protection of religious beliefs.