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California Voices Helped Shape this Historic Moment
Building Momentum for
Religious Rights and Freedom of Conscience

There has been an important development at the federal level that could help shape the future of religious liberty for families across the country, including here in California.

The President's Religious Liberty Commission has released its long-awaited draft report, recognizing the importance of protecting religious freedom in education, healthcare, employment, parental rights, military service, faith-based organizations, and vaccine-related religious accommodations.

Earlier this year, AVFCA's Grassroots Director, Karen Amigon, testified before the Religious Liberty Commission alongside her daughter, sharing the impact California's policies have had on their family and thousands of others. Karen also highlighted AVFCA's lawsuit challenging SB 277, helping ensure that the experiences of California families were part of the Commission's consideration as it developed these recommendations.

AVFCA has remained at the forefront of this issue through litigation, legislative advocacy, federal engagement, coalition building, and direct support for families. We remain the only organization in California working to restore religious exemptions through every available avenue.

While the report is not law, it represents an important federal acknowledgment of concerns that families have been raising for years and provides a roadmap for future federal action.

We encourage you to read the report, particularly Chapter 10: "Conscience and Coercion in Vaccine Policy," which addresses religious accommodations related to vaccine mandates.

Read the full draft report here: [link removed] [[link removed]]

Although Chapter 10 focuses specifically on vaccine policy, the report also contains recommendations addressing parental rights, school choice, religious liberty in healthcare, employment, military service, faith-based organizations, and broader First Amendment protections.

Why This Matters: For California families, this report is especially meaningful.

Since the passage of SB 277 in 2015, California families with sincerely held religious beliefs have had no religious exemption available for K-12 school vaccine requirements. Many have been forced to make heartbreaking decisions about their children's education while remaining faithful to their religious convictions.

Key Recommendations: Among the recommendations most relevant to AVFCA's work, the Commission calls for the federal government to:

• Investigate potential violations of religious freedom involving schools, healthcare providers, and government agencies that unlawfully deny religious accommodations.
• Support litigation protecting the rights of students seeking religious exemptions from vaccine mandates.
• Support federal legislation requiring educational institutions receiving federal funding to honor sincerely held religious exemptions.
• Issue federal guidance regarding religious accommodations in education, healthcare, and employment.
• Strengthen protections when religious exemptions are treated differently from comparable non-religious exemptions.
• Prioritize the development and approval of ethically acceptable vaccine alternatives for individuals whose sincerely held religious beliefs include objections to vaccines developed or tested using aborted fetal cell lines.

The report also contains broader recommendations supporting parental rights, school choice, healthcare conscience protections, religious expression in schools, faith-based organizations, and stronger enforcement of First Amendment protections.

Looking Ahead: This draft report is an important step, but there is still work to do.

AVFCA will continue advancing religious liberty through our lawsuit, legislative advocacy, federal engagement, coalition work, and direct support for families until California once again recognizes and protects the religious rights of parents and children.

Thank you for standing with us and helping move this work forward.

If you found this information helpful and appreciate the work A Voice for Choice Advocacy is doing, please support us by making a donation today.

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Together we can make change happen

C
Christina Hildebrand
President/Founder
A Voice for Choice Advocacy, Inc.
[email protected] [[email protected]]
www.AVoiceForChoiceAdvocacy.org [[link removed]]
www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org [www.avoiceforchoiceadvocacy.org]
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