Senate File 2203 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2203 BY OLIVE , BLACK , and HANCOCK A BILL FOR An Act exempting certain entities from being required to 1 solemnize, celebrate, or promote a marriage. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 5698XS (5) 83 pf/rj

S.F. 2203 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 595.21 Exemptions —— solemnization 1 or celebration of a marriage —— promotion of marriage. 2 1. A religious organization, an individual who is 3 managed, directed, or supervised by or in conjunction with a 4 religious organization, or a nonprofit organization operated, 5 supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with a religious 6 organization, shall not be required to provide services, 7 accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges to 8 an individual if the request for such services, accommodations, 9 advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges is related to the 10 solemnization of a marriage, the celebration of a marriage, 11 or the promotion of marriage through religious counseling, 12 programs, courses, retreats, or housing designated for married 13 individuals, and such solemnization, celebration, or promotion 14 of marriage would cause the organization to violate the 15 sincerely held religious beliefs to which the organization 16 subscribes or the individual to violate the individual’s 17 sincerely held religious beliefs. 18 2. Refusal to provide services, accommodations, advantages, 19 facilities, goods, or privileges in accordance with this 20 section shall not result in either of the following: 21 a. Creation of a civil claim or cause of action. 22 b. An action by the state to penalize or withhold benefits 23 from such religious organization; from an individual who is 24 managed, directed, or supervised by or in conjunction with 25 such religious organization; or from a nonprofit organization 26 operated, supervised, or controlled by or in conjunction with 27 such religious organization. 28 EXPLANATION 29 This bill provides an exemption for religious organizations; 30 individuals who are managed, directed, or supervised by or 31 in conjunction with a religious organization; and nonprofit 32 organizations operated, supervised, or controlled by or in 33 conjunction with a religious organization, from a requirement 34 to provide services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, 35 -1- LSB 5698XS (5) 83 pf/rj 1/ 2

S.F. 2203 goods, or privileges to an individual if the request for such 1 services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or 2 privileges is related to the solemnization of a marriage, the 3 celebration of a marriage, or the promotion of marriage through 4 religious counseling, programs, courses, retreats, or housing 5 designated for married individuals, and such solemnization, 6 celebration, or promotion of marriage would cause the religious 7 or nonprofit organization to violate the sincerely held 8 religious beliefs to which the organization subscribes or 9 the individual associated with the religious organization to 10 violate the individual’s sincerely held religious beliefs. 11 The bill also provides that refusal to provide services, 12 accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges in 13 accordance with the bill shall not result in the creation of 14 a civil claim or cause of action or an action by the state to 15 penalize or withhold benefits from such religious organization, 16 individual, or nonprofit organization. 17 -2- LSB 5698XS (5) 83 pf/rj 2/ 2