republic-os/legal/us/code/title-42/chapter-21c/section-2000cc.md

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LegalText	42 U.S.C. § 2000cc	Protection of land use as religious exercise	us	united_states_code	code_section	42	THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE	21C	PROTECTION OF RELIGIOUS EXERCISE IN LAND USE AND BY INSTITUTIONALIZED PERSONS	2000cc	42 U.S.C. § 2000cc	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t42/s2000cc	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml	042db1df174592e04a9d8cc49b908d0590b48be92bf2e228f30a1a5ed2fc6815	644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e	2cb7dc9cf4e17a69400b2ec9920f7418634082554d43fa730acd190e6cc6a09e	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

42 U.S.C. § 2000cc - Protection of land use as religious exercise

Text

(a) Substantial burdens (1) General rule No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution, unless the government demonstrates that imposition of the burden on that person, assembly, or institution—

(A) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and

(B) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.

(2) Scope of application This subsection applies in any case in which—

(A) the substantial burden is imposed in a program or activity that receives Federal financial assistance, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability;

(B) the substantial burden affects, or removal of that substantial burden would affect, commerce with foreign nations, among the several States, or with Indian tribes, even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability; or

(C) the substantial burden is imposed in the implementation of a land use regulation or system of land use regulations, under which a government makes, or has in place formal or informal procedures or practices that permit the government to make, individualized assessments of the proposed uses for the property involved.

(b) Discrimination and exclusion (1) Equal terms No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that treats a religious assembly or institution on less than equal terms with a nonreligious assembly or institution.

(2) Nondiscrimination No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that discriminates against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination.

(3) Exclusions and limits No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation that—

(A) totally excludes religious assemblies from a jurisdiction; or

(B) unreasonably limits religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.

(Pub. L. 106–274, § 2, Sept. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 803.)

Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short TitlePub. L. 106–274, § 1, Sept. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 803, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter and amending sections 1988, 2000bb–2 and 2000bb–3 of this title] may be cited as the ‘Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000’ ”.