California Religious Freedom Act

This act protects the free exercise of religion by limiting when government may substantially burden a person's religious practice, permitting such a burden only where the state can justify it under a heightened standard of scrutiny. It defines the key terms used in that test, states the purposes behind the protection, and allows a person whose religious exercise is burdened to raise the violation either as an affirmative claim or as a defense in a proceeding, with attorney's fees available. It also sets special rules for claims brought by inmates and addresses the act's scope and how its provisions are to be construed.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.