Help Protect Religious Freedom and Parental Rights!

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The Weston A. Price Foundation supports the fundamental right of parents to make medical decisions for their children consistent with their sincerely held religious beliefs. No child should be denied an education because his or her family exercises a constitutionally protected religious conviction.

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the Senate version of the Guaranteeing Religious Accommodation in Childhood Education (GRACE) Act, with Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) as the original cosponsor. The legislation is the Senate companion to H.R. 5075, introduced in the House by Representative Greg Steube (R-FL).

The GRACE Act would prohibit federal education funds from going to state and local education agencies or schools that refuse to recognize religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements. It would also prohibit schools from requiring families to prove the sincerity of their religious beliefs in order to receive a religious exemption.

Today, California, Connecticut, Maine, New Yorkand West Virginia do not allow religious exemptions to school vaccine requirements. Millions of children and their families are left with an impossible choice: violate their sincerely held religious beliefs or lose access to educational opportunities available to other children.

The GRACE Act does not create a federal vaccine mandate, expand federal authority over state vaccine laws or require states to adopt school vaccine mandates. Instead, it simply says that states and schools receiving federal education funding may not discriminate against families because they exercise their sincerely held religious beliefs.

Religious liberty is one of America’s most fundamental constitutional protections. Families should never be forced to choose between their faith and their child’s education.

Congress needs to hear from constituents NOW.

TAKE ACTION

Contact both of your U.S. Senators and your U.S. Representative TODAY.

• Ask your U.S. Senators to co-sponsor and SUPPORT the Senate version of the GRACE Act.
• Ask your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor and SUPPORT H.R. 5075, the House companion bill.

Find your U.S. Senators here:

https://www.senate.gov/senators

Find your U.S. Representative here:

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Phone calls are most effective. Respectful emails help too.

SAMPLE SCRIPT

“Hello, my name is ___ and I’m a constituent from ___. 

I’m calling to ask Senator/Representative ___ to co-sponsor and SUPPORT the GRACE Act.

No family should have to choose between their sincerely held religious beliefs and their child’s education. The GRACE Act protects religious liberty by ensuring that schools receiving federal education funding recognize religious exemptions to vaccine requirements and do not force families to prove the validity of their religious beliefs.

I ask that Senator (or Representative) ____ co-sponsor the Senate (or House) version of the GRACE Act.

Thank you.”

TALKING POINTS

1. The free exercise of religion is protected by the First Amendment and is one of our nation’s most fundamental constitutional freedoms.

2. Parents should not have to choose between honoring their sincerely held religious beliefs and sending their children to school.

3. The GRACE Act protects families from being required to submit documentation or other evidence to justify the sincerity of their religious beliefs.

4. Religious freedom should be respected equally in public schools, private schools, and faith-based schools receiving federal education funding.

5. The GRACE Act does not create a federal vaccine mandate or expand federal authority over state vaccine policies. It simply establishes conditions on the receipt of federal education funds.

6. Federal taxpayers should not be required to subsidize educational institutions that discriminate against families exercising their constitutional right to religious freedom.

7. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to ensure that federal funds are not used to facilitate religious discrimination.

8. Religious accommodation has long been recognized as an important protection under federal civil rights law and should continue to be respected in education.

9. Children should not lose access to education, extracurricular activities or other school opportunities because their families exercise sincerely held religious beliefs.

10. The GRACE Act protects both parental rights and religious liberty while leaving broader vaccine policy decisions to the states.

11. Many vaccines are made using aborted fetal tissue. Read this article to learn more. https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/use-of-aborted-fetal-tissue-in-vaccines/#gsc.tab=0

MORE INFORMATION

GRACE Act Bill Information:

The House companion bill is H.R. 5075 – Guaranteeing Religious Accommodation in Childhood Education (GRACE) Act. https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5075/text

The Senate version was introduced by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and is cosponsored by Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL). Congress.gov has not assigned the Senate bill an S. number as of today’s date.

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