Bill Text: PA HR569 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass United States House Bill No. 1179 or United States Senate Bill No. 1467, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, and United States Senate Bill No. 2043, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 43-5)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-13 - Referred to STATE GOVERNMENT [HR569 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HR569-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 3078
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No. 569 Session of2012
INTRODUCED BY KRIEGER, BLOOM, BARRAR, CAUSER, AUMENT, SACCONE, KAUFFMAN, GINGRICH, EVANKOVICH, TRUITT, BROOKS, CHRISTIANA, CUTLER, DENLINGER, DUNBAR, HUTCHINSON, METCALFE, RAPP, REESE, VULAKOVICH, ROAE, FLECK, BAKER, MUSTIO, STERN, GABLER, CLYMER, HENNESSEY, GIBBONS, HORNAMAN, SAINATO, STEVENSON, SAYLOR, SWANGER, ROCK, MALONEY, MARSHALL, HEFFLEY, KOTIK, HARPER, HELM, QUIGLEY, LAWRENCE, GRELL, TALLMAN AND LONGIETTI, FEBRUARY 13, 2012
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 13, 2012
A RESOLUTION
Memorializing the Congress of the United States to pass United
States House bill No. 1179 or United States Senate Bill No.
1467, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, and
United States Senate Bill No. 2043, the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act of 2012.
WHEREAS, Our nation was founded upon freedom of conscience
and freedom of religion; and
WHEREAS, In 1809, Thomas Jefferson stated that "[n]o
provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than
that which protects the rights of conscience against the
enterprises of civil authority"; and
WHEREAS, William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, was an
early champion of democracy and religious freedom and created
the "Frame of Government," a constitution for the Province of
Pennsylvania; and
WHEREAS, In 1701, William Penn's Fourth Frame, known as the
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Pennsylvania Charter of Liberties, declared, "No people can be
truly happy, though under the greatest enjoyments of civil
liberties, if abridged of the Freedom of their Conscience as to
their Religious Profession and Worship"; and
WHEREAS, The United States Department of Health and Human
Services' religious exemption to the requirement that new or
significantly altered health insurance plans cover abortion-
causing drugs, contraceptives and sterilization for women under
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is so narrow as
to exclude most Catholic social service agencies, health care
providers, educational institutions, as well as most religious
employers and faith-based organizations; and
WHEREAS, This new directive would force affected religious
organizations to eliminate existing health care coverage for
employees, students and others or purchase coverage that
violates the moral and religious teaching of the employer; and
WHEREAS, This new directive will set a precedent that
undermines the foundation of religious freedom upon which our
country was built; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives memorialize the
Congress of the United States to pass United States House
Resolution No. 1179 or United States Senate Bill No. 1467, the
Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011 and United States
Senate Bill No. 2043, Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 2012,
so that the citizens of Pennsylvania will be able to exercise
their rights of conscience; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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