Number: RS21924
Title: Charitable Choice: Expansion by Executive Action
Authors: Joe Richardson, Domestic Social Policy Division 
Abstract: Charitable choice laws, which seek to promote use of religious organizations as providers of social services without impairing the religious liberty of beneficiaries or the independence of religious providers, now apply to a limited set of programs (See CRS Report RL31042, Charitable Choice: House-Passed Version of H.R. 7 Compared with Existing Charitable Choice Laws). In his faith-based initiative, President Bush proposed a sweeping expansion of charitable choice coverage. The House passed an expansion bill (H.R. 7 of 2001), but it died in the Senate. The President then issued an executive order (EO 13279) covering all federally funded social service programs (broadly defined) and ordered the relevant agencies, to the extent allowed by law, to ring their policies into conformity with basic charitable choice principles identified by him. Pursuant to the order, agencies have changed many rules.
Pages: 6
Date: January 12, 2005