Public Policy Archives - American Atheists

Atheists Still Have Concerns About Denial of Care Rule

American Atheists — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 14:30:49 +0000

Washington, D.C. – On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights announced the release of its new Denial of Care rule, Safeguarding the Rights of Conscience as Protected by Federal Statutes. President of American Atheists, Nick Fish, said, “The Department of Health and Human Services has taken a step in the right direction this week. The religious refusal rule the Biden Administration inherited had nothing to do with religious freedom and everything to do with enshrining religious extremism into law and prioritizing the narrow beliefs of a few over the wellbeing of millions.” The just-announced Final Rule rescinds significant portions of a 2019 rule that would have allowed health care providers and other entities involved in patient care – including insurance companies, receptionists, and administrators – to discriminate against patients and deny necessary treatment on the basis of religious disapproval had it not been found unlawful by three federal district courts. American Atheists strongly opposed the Trump-era religious refusal rule, denouncing it as a blatant attempt to enshrine religious extremism into law at the expense of the health and safety of millions of Americans. If not for the litigation that ensued, the rule would have threatened access to abortion, contraceptives, HIV prevention and treatment, gender-affirming care, end-of-life care, and more – even in cases of emergency. In early 2023, American Atheists wrote in support of the Biden Administration’s proposal to abrogate the Trump Administration’s rule. In comments submitted to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the religious equality organization offered a number of suggestions for various amendments that would strengthen the final rule, including more robust data collection on the impact of health care discrimination on religious minorities, atheists, and other nonreligious patients. “We are grateful Secretary Becerra has reinforced some of the nondiscrimination protections issued by the Obama Administration in 2011,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “However, we remain concerned that the Final Rule retains several misguided provisions from 2019 and grants broad enforcement authority to the Office for Civil Rights that could be misused by future administrations.” The anti-abortion group CatholicVote issued a response confirming American Atheists’ concerns. The religious lobbying organization concluded the Final Rule upholds exemptions and accommodations for religious beliefs, with their Director of Government Affairs noting, “…it could have been much worse. The onslaught of public protest prevented HHS from sending us back to 2011.” “Unfortunately, these revisions from HHS do little to make patients aware they can be denied medical care for nonmedical reasons,” explained Gill. “It reinforces the need for states to pass health care transparency legislation – like HB 1218 in Colorado – to ensure patients are informed when they are denied necessary care because of the beliefs of hospitals and providers.” The Final Rule will take effect on March 1, 2024.

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Just-Released Report Outlines Troubling Trend Toward Religious Extremism in State Legislatures

American Atheists — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:25:52 +0000

Washington, D.C. — American Atheists released the sixth edition of its State of the Secular States report today. The organization’s annual policy publication is an in-depth analysis of state-level legislative attacks against religious equality and the separation of religion and government. Many of the political forecasts outlined in State of the Secular States have proven accurate over the years, and it has become a powerful tool for lawmakers, the media, and advocates to understand the nationwide trajectory toward religious extremism. “Last year was one of the worst legislative sessions in recent memory,” explained Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists and author of the report. “We tracked a record number of bills attacking civil rights, and in state after state, we saw protections for LGBTQ people and access to abortion care set back decades. A well-funded network of religious lobbying groups succeeded in proliferating harmful, hateful policies and decimating our most foundational democratic norms. With the 2024 election season looming, it’s likely these trends will not only continue but intensify over the next year.” The report shows religious extremism in government is no longer a rare occurrence in the United States but a dominant theme enjoying the explicit and unprecedented endorsement of the Supreme Court and powerful political leaders, up to and including the Speaker of the House. Even as the majority of Americans continue to oppose the anti-LGBTQ and anti-abortion policies and ideologies of White Christian nationalists, American Atheists finds more and more bills are being introduced and passed. Rob Hofmann, State Policy Manager at American Atheists, said, “As we head into a new legislative session and a major election year, I hope religious and nonreligious Americans alike will vigilantly safeguard their civil rights from a few on the fringe. Although the circumstances are dire, 2024 is also an opportunity for our growing community of atheists and other nonreligious people to make real, meaningful gains to enact policies and elect leaders that protect the health and wellbeing of all Americans and our democratic institutions.” In 2023, American Atheists monitored over 1,600 bills across the country that would either enhance or harm religious equality. The State of the Secular States report further analyzes existing laws and proposed policies by state and into four categories: Constitutional & Nondiscrimination Protections, Special Privileges for Religion, Health Care & Wellness, and Education & Youth. All 50 states—plus Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C—are then assessed on a three-tier scale from those that strongly protect religious equality to those that actively undermine it. This year’s report shows nearly two dozen states have several laws establishing religious exemptions or special privileges for religion and provide few protections for the separation of religion and government. The organization noted an abrupt and alarming increase in the number of religiously motivated bills targeting trans young people. For example, in 2023 alone, 19 states passed laws preventing trans youth from receiving appropriate and medically necessary health care. The report also documents a dramatic increase in the scale and scope of policies that would insert religion into public schools or divert public dollars to fund religious schools. While […]

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Atheists Urge Biden Administration to Protect Social Services Recipients from Forced Religious Worship and Discrimination

American Atheists — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 15:14:31 +0000

Washington, DC—This month, the religious freedom watchdog American Atheists called on the Biden Administration to restore freedom of religion protections in social services, as the Administration has promised. On the proposed rule, American Atheists submitted comments providing expertise and guidance to nine federal agencies: the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, and Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). “Atheists and nonreligious people continue to face stigma and discrimination because of their nonreligious beliefs. The proposed rule will help to protect beneficiaries of federally funded social services by reversing the discriminatory and harmful rules implemented by the Trump Administration,” wrote Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy for American Atheists, in the organization’s comments submitted to the nine departments and agencies. During its final days, the Trump Administration rolled back protections requiring faith-based organizations to inform recipients of their legal rights to be free from discrimination, not to have to attend religious activities, and to have the opportunity to get a referral to an alternative provider. By gutting these religious freedom safeguards, the Trump Administration targeted vulnerable recipients of these programs, religious minorities and nonreligious people. Shortly thereafter, American Atheists joined partners from across the religious spectrum in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s discriminatory changes. “In America, no one’s ability to get vital services should depend on whether they share the religious beliefs of organizations the government selects to be providers,” added Gill. “By reinstating these critical protections, the Biden Administration ensures that everyone will be able to access government-funded services without being deprived of their civil rights or subject to religious coercion.” American Atheists’ lawsuit is currently stayed while the Biden Administration proceeds with rulemaking.

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American Atheists Calls for Ending Religious Denial of Care

American Atheists — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:54:51 +0000

Washington, D.C.—This week, American Atheists wrote in support of the Biden Administration’s proposal to rescind the Trump Administration’s dangerous denial of care rule. This regulation allows hospitals, doctors, nurses, orderlies, and even insurance companies to cite their personal religious beliefs in order to deny a patient care. “Religion should never be a justification to refuse necessary medical care, and we hope that [the Biden Administration’s proposal] will help restore a much-needed focus on patient health and well-being, rather than a disproportionate focus on the beliefs of hospitals and providers,” wrote Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. The organization provided suggestions for various amendments to strengthen the Biden Administration’s final rule. These include rejecting outright the Trump Administration’s false framing of “federal conscience and nondiscrimination laws,” as well as clarifying any remaining enforcement provisions. In comments submitted to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Gill noted that denial of care has a disproportionate negative impact on vulnerable communities, including atheists and nonreligious people. She called for better data collection on the impact of health care discrimination on atheists and religious minorities. Read American Atheists’ full comments here:

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Atheists Applaud Biden Administration for Restoring Critical Religious Equality Protections

American Atheists — Thu, 12 Jan 2023 18:45:30 +0000

American Atheists praised the Biden Administration for acting to restore critical religious equality and civil rights protections for people who receive government-funded social services from religiously affiliated providers.

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New Report Forecasts Christian Nationalist Movement’s State-Level Strategy in 2023

American Atheists — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 14:37:44 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, the religious equality watchdog American Atheists warned about white Christian nationalists’ likely strategy for 2023, following the midterm elections. This warning draws on the large body of research and trends published today in the organization’s 2022 State of the Secular States report. Now in its fifth annual edition, this report provides in-depth analysis of laws and policies affecting church-state separation and religious equality in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. “White Christian nationalism is unpopular to a majority of Americans. At the national level, Christian nationalist candidates Doug Mastriano (R-PA) and Kari Lake (R-AZ) suffered defeat in purple states, while Representative Lauren Boebert (R-CO) nearly lost in a district that is normally safe for Republicans,” explained Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists. “Similarly, ballot measures on Christian nationalist policies, such as an effort to add broad religious exemption language to the Arkansas state constitution, failed even in a highly religious and conservative state like Arkansas.” “Christian nationalists have increasingly taken over the Republican Party, especially in very conservative areas. With Democrats controlling the presidency and the Senate, Christian nationalists will be unable to pass extremist bills at the federal level. Instead, they will continue to push their bills through Republican-majority state legislatures,” Gill warned. Based on the state legislative data from 2022, American Atheists anticipates the continuation of at least three dangerous trends: 1) legislative attacks on reproductive rights, 2) denial of health care legislation, and 3) bills allowing religious propaganda in public schools. The 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which ended the constitutional right to an abortion, will greatly affect the 2023 state legislative session. States already with limited abortion restrictions, like Florida, are likely to consider complete bans, potentially challenging state constitutional provisions that protect access to abortion. Some states may try to pass personhood bills, which grant constitutional rights to fetuses from the moment of conception. These extreme bills could not only limit services like contraception and in vitro fertilization (IVF) but also subject people who have miscarriages or abortions to murder charges. To deflect criticism for the many harms that will result from the criminalization of abortion post-Dobbs, abortion-ban states may consider funding so-called “crisis pregnancy centers,” fake clinics that are religious and push anti-abortion propaganda. “State abortion bans harm religious freedom. They force a Christian conservative view of abortion upon all the residents of a state,” said Brittany Williams, State Policy Counsel for American Atheists. “Patients should have the freedom to make reproductive health choices without being forced to follow someone else’s religious doctrine.” American Atheists expects further Christian nationalist attacks on health care. These bills often allow hospital CEOs, hospital boards, employers, employees, and even insurance companies to deny any health care service based on personal religious beliefs. This disproportionately harms patients in rural areas without secular hospitals, LGBTQ patients, and patients seeking reproductive care. In 2022, South Carolina passed one such bill. States like Texas and Florida considered these measures, but they did not pass during that legislative session. The organization also predicts more attacks on public schools. The U.S. Supreme […]

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Atheists Applaud Biden Administration for Working to Restore Health Care Protections Against Religiously Motivated Discrimination

American Atheists — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 17:07:40 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, American Atheists applauded the Biden Administration’s release of proposed regulations restoring nondiscrimination protections in health care included in the Affordable Care Act. In 2010, President Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act, which included in Section 1557 nondiscrimination protections for patients seeking medical care. In 2016, the Obama Administration finalized rules that provide inclusive protections under this law. However, in 2020, the Trump Administration added religious exemptions with the express purpose of undermining those protections. The Administration particularly targeted pregnant patients, transgender and gender-nonconforming patients, non-English speakers, and patients who’d previously had an abortion. “The Department of Health and Human Services should be able to enforce basic nondiscrimination laws without special accommodations for the fringe objections of Christian extremists who want to discriminate,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy. “We applaud the Biden Administration for taking these important steps to prohibit discrimination, while avoiding the dangerously broad religious exemptions the Trump Administration created.” “However, the activist majority on the Supreme Court and extremists in other federal courts endanger even commonsense protections. The well-funded Christian nationalist movement and its judges are doing all they can to make nondiscrimination protections a thing of the past,” she explained. “I worry that it’s only a matter of time before the Supreme Court invents a reason to strike down these reasonable civil rights protections,” said Nick Fish, president of Americans Atheists. “The dangerous religious extremists who dominate the highest court in the land have time and time again ignored the plain language of the law, decades of precedent, and the will of the American people in order to let their Christian nationalist allies discriminate in the name of religion.” “It’s time for Congress to repeal the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which enables these broad exemptions, and enact real, meaningful reform of our federal court system, including expanding the Supreme Court,” Fish added. “Our nation’s judicial system is in the midst of a legitimacy crisis entirely of its own making. Unless big changes are made, America will continue to hurtle down the path toward a theocracy.”

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New Report Forecasts Christian Nationalist Movement’s Strategic Actions in 2022

American Atheists — Tue, 04 Jan 2022 15:15:11 +0000

Washington D.C.—Today, the religious equality watchdog American Atheists sounded the alarm on Christian nationalists’ likely strategy for 2022. This warning draws on the large body of research and trends published today in the organization’s 2021 State of the Secular States report. Now in its fourth annual edition, this report provides the most comprehensive review ever of statewide laws and policies affecting church-state separation and religious equality in all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. “Overall, 2021 was the worst state legislative session for civil rights in more than a decade,” said American Atheists’ Vice President of Legal and Policy Alison Gill, who authored the report. “Unless the media and advocates shine a light on white Christian nationalists’ unprecedented attacks on our democracy, this extremist movement’s momentum will only increase in 2022.” Based on the state legislative data from 2021, American Atheists anticipates the continuation of at least three dangerous trends: 1) a wave of harmful state-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs), 2) denial of health care legislation, and 3) legislative attacks on public schools. From 2016 until 2020, not a single state RFRA became law. Public opinion was largely against RFRAs for targeting LGBTQ people’s rights. Last year, legislative activists took advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to rebrand RFRAs as necessary to “protect” churches from limitations on in-person gatherings. Yet these laws are virtually indistinguishable from those introduced in previous years—and just as discriminatory. In 2021, three states—Arkansas, South Dakota, and Montana—passed RFRAs. Since these bills succeeded, American Atheists forecasts attempts to pass even more RFRAs in 2022. Also in 2021, two states—Arkansas and Ohio—passed bills that allow hospital CEOs, hospital boards, employers, and even insurance companies to deny any health care service based on personal religious beliefs. In the past, state legislatures had passed denial of care bills that only focused on specific services, such as abortion or contraception. American Atheists anticipates a flurry of dangerously broad denial of care bills in 2022. The organization also predicts increasingly sophisticated legislative attacks on public schools. For example, hybrid bills that combine anti-trans youth policies with religious denials of health care have appeared. Similarly, Florida passed legislation focusing on “parental rights,” grouping together such disparate items as 1) preventing schools from requiring masking or vaccination 2) forcing teachers to “out” LGBTQ students to their parents and 3) preventing the teaching of any material of which a parent religiously disapproves. “White Christian nationalists may not physically attack the Capitol again, as on January 6. But the movement is assaulting the rights of atheists, racial and religious minorities, LGBTQ people, and many others with their extremist legislation,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “Now that we know their strategy, advocates, the media, and lawmakers must shine a light on these attempts to wield religion as a weapon. Our democracy is on the line.” View the full report at www.atheists.org/states or in pdf format. Image credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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Biden Administration to End Trump-Era Policy Allowing Discrimination by Religious Federal Contractors

American Atheists — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 16:56:17 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, the religious equality watchdog American Atheists praised the Biden Administration and the Department of Labor for proposing rescission of a Trump-era regulation that allows federal contractors to discriminate against workers on the basis of religion. In December 2020, the Trump Administration expanded government contractors’ ability to ignore civil rights and anti-discrimination laws by claiming religious exemptions. With nearly a quarter of Americans working for employers with federal contracts, the Biden Administration’s decision to rescind this policy is important and far-reaching. “We applaud the Biden Administration for restoring workers’ freedom of religion,” said Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy. “The government should never fund businesses that justify discrimination based on religious beliefs. And American taxpayers should never be forced to be complicit in discrimination.” The Trump-era rule particularly harmed protected minority groups. Under it, any federal contractor—even a construction company, janitorial service, or healthcare provider—could claim a religious mission and refuse to hire any group they disapproved of as long as they cited a religious reason. “Finally, atheists, LGBTQ people, women, and religious minorities will see these important protections restored,” said Nick Fish, president of American Atheists. “Let me be clear: The people who will be complaining about this change do not care about religious freedom—they only care about how they can use religion as a weapon against people different from them.” “I applaud President Biden, Secretary Walsh, and this administration for protecting American workers from religiously motivated discrimination,” Fish added.

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American Atheists Highlights Need for Better Data on Nonreligious Americans and Religious Minorities

American Atheists — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 19:19:26 +0000

Washington, D.C.—Today, the nonreligious advocacy organization, American Atheists, urged the Biden Administration to make federal surveys more inclusive of nonreligious Americans and religious minorities. These comments were in response to a request for information by the Office of Management and Budget. For decades, the National Survey of Family Growth has included questions on religion. Unfortunately, these questions’ dated framing excludes atheists and religious minorities. Rather than recognizing the rich plurality of religious belief and nonbelief in the US, the questions seek to identify members of particular Christian denominations. American Atheist is calling on the Biden Administration to update the Christian-centric questions and make them more inclusive of atheists and religious minorities. “Strong, population-based data about nonreligious people and religious minorities is needed to understand the full scope of the disparities facing these populations,” wrote Alison Gill, Vice President for Legal and Policy at American Atheists in the comments. With federal surveys failing to consider this issue, American Atheists conducted the US Secular Survey, a 2019 data collection of nearly 34,000 nonreligious people living in the United States. The survey found that nearly one third (29.4%) of survey participants experienced discrimination in education due to their nonreligious identity, and one in five (21.7%) experienced discrimination at work. As a result of this discrimination and stigma, nonreligious people experience heightened rates of loneliness and depression. American Atheists’ research shows that one in six (17.2%) of survey participants are likely to be depressed and about one quarter (25.6%) of participants often experience one or more indicators of loneliness and social isolation. Data from this survey shows unequivocally that nonreligious people in the US encounter stigma and discrimination in various aspects of their lives. The US Secular Survey’s findings also demonstrate the need for further population-based research. “The federal government has the resources and the technical expertise to develop suitable questions for religious data collection on population surveys,” wrote Gill. “By working with American Atheists and various organizations representing religious minorities communities, we believe that this data collection could be done respectfully and in a way that takes into account the entirely valid concerns these communities may have concerning confidentiality.”

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