September 22 marked the 10th anniversary of President Clinton’s signing of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice offered that:
The law was enacted in response to concerns that places of worship, particularly those of religious and ethnic minorities, were often discriminated against in zoning matters, and that individuals in prisons, mental health facilities, nursing homes and other institutions were frequently denied full religious freedom.
To mark the anniversary the DOJ issued a report detailing the efforts of the DOJ to enforce the law. The report contains a number of interesting case examples.
The DOJ also released a Q and A policy statement on the law, what it is, and how it should be interpreted. Good reading for planners unfamiliar with RLUIPA.
