HARRISBURG – Legislation has been reintroduced to prevent the closure of houses of worship and protect the gathering for worship during an emergency declaration, as happened during the COVID-19 pandemic. House Bill 54 amends PA’s Religious Freedom Protection Act, which mandates that an agency shall not harm a person’s free exercise of religion. It ensures that Governors, Secretaries of Health, or any governing body – now and in the future – cannot interfere with the constitutionally protected right of freedom of religion guaranteed under the PA Constitution and U.S. Constitution. Bill sponsor, Luzerne County Rep. Alec Ryncavage says according to the American Center for Law and Justice, PA is one of 28 states that lacks specific protections for houses of worship during states of emergency enshrined in state law. The measure is now before the PA House Health Committee for consideration.
REP. ALEC RYNCAVAGE