2025 Code of Georgia
Title 50 - State Government (Chs. 1 — 40)
Chapter 15A - Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act (§§ 50-15A-1 — 50-15A-4)
Annotations
Notes
Effective date.This chapter became effective April 4, 2025.
Editor's notes.Ga. L. 2025, p. 13, § 1/SB 36, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act.’”
Ga. L. 2025, p. 13, § 2/SB 36, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “The General Assembly finds and determines that:
“(1) Whereas the framers of the United States Constitution and the people of this state, recognizing free exercise of religion as an inalienable right, secured its protection in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and in Paragraphs III and IV of Section I, Article I of the Constitution of this state, respectively;
“ (2) Whereas in City of Boerne v. Flores, 521 U. S. 507 (1997), the United States Supreme Court held that the compelling interest test provided for in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, to protect the inalienable constitutional right of free exercise of religion, must be adopted by a state through legislative act or court decision in order to apply to state or local government action; and
“(3) The General Assembly has determined that the following legislative act adopts the same compelling interest test provided for in the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act in a manner that applies it to the actions of state and local governments in Georgia.”
Research References & Practice Aids
Cross references.Freedom of religion, U. S. Const., amend. I.
Freedom of conscience, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. I, § I, Para. III.
Religious opinions and freedom of religion, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. I, § I, Para. IV.
U.S. Code.The federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, referred to in the Editor’s note, is codified at 42 U. S. C. § 2000bb.
Hierarchy Notes:O. C. G. A. Title 50
