H.R. 9722 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Aug 27, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryReligious groups get tax-exempt protection
This bill says that religious organizations' beliefs about marriage, sexuality, or gender identity cannot be used against them when deciding if they qualify for tax-exempt status. Usually, organizations can only skip federal taxes if they serve a public purpose that doesn't conflict with law or policy. The bill carves out an exception for religious beliefs on these topics, saying those beliefs won't count as conflicting with public policy for tax purposes.
How it affects you
If you donate to a religious organization, you may be able to claim a tax deduction for that donation even if the organization's teachings on marriage, sexuality, or gender identity differ from current law or policy. Religious organizations themselves could maintain their tax-exempt status based on these beliefs without losing it through federal tax determinations.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jul 16, 2026)
Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026
This bill provides that an organization’s religious beliefs or practices concerning marriage, sexuality, or gender identity may not be treated as inconsistent with public law or policy for purposes of determining whether the organization has a charitable purpose and, thus, is exempt from federal income tax.
As background, charitable organizations generally must be organized and operated for one or more tax-exempt purposes (e.g., religious, charitable, scientific, or educational) to be exempt from federal income tax and receive tax-deductible contributions. The Internal Revenue Service’s position, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in Bob Jones University v. United States , is that an organization is not organized or operated for a tax-exempt purpose if the organization is against public policy or illegal.
The bill provides that a religious belief or practice concerning marriage, sexuality or gender identity may not be treated as being inconsistent with public law or policy for purposes of determining if an organization is organized and operated for a tax-exempt purpose. Further, under the bill, a belief need not be compelled by or central to a system of religion to be a religious belief.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
2nd SessionH. R. 9722
A BILL
Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026
Sponsor: Rep. Blake D. Moore (R-UT-1) · Introduced Jul 16, 2026 · Taxation · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Aug 27, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 680.”