{ "id": "RL32736", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "RL32736", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 316689, "date": "2006-07-12", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T18:57:03.259029", "title": "Charitable Choice Rules and Faith-Based Organizations", "summary": "President Bush's Administration has advanced a \"Charitable Choice\" agenda aimed at expanding\nthe\nability of faith-based organizations to provide federally funded social services and encouraging states\nto do likewise. Charitable Choice rules are intended to ensure that faith-based organizations\nparticipate more fully in federally funded social service programs and offer services without\nabandoning their religious character or infringing on the religious freedom of applicant/recipients. \nThey deal with issues such as faith-based organizations' ability to remain independent of\ngovernmental controls, to discriminate in their hiring practices, and to conduct \"inherently religious\"\nactivities while at the same time providing government-funded services.\n Prior to the Administration's initiative, Congress enacted Charitable Choice rules for Temporary\nAssistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), and\nsubstance abuse prevention and treatment programs. But, after Congress failed to enact Charitable\nChoice rules for more programs, the Bush Administration issued an executive order (EO 13279) that\ndirected that most rules covered under the Charitable Choice rubric be followed by a wide range of\nsocial service programs, unless otherwise directed by law. In addition, the Administration and\nCongress have provided money for a range of specific grants/projects in which faith-based\norganizations play a substantial role, including the Compassion Capital Fund.\n Charitable Choice rules represent a shift in how government treats religious organizations\napplying for social service grants. They are intended to deny aid for \"inherently religious\"\n activities \n-- as opposed to the preexisting policy that generally barred assistance to \"pervasively sectarian\"\nreligious organizations .\n For Congress, there is a continuing debate over whether to accept the existing situation -- where\nthe executive order has effectively put in place most, but not all, Charitable Choice principles for the\nbulk of social service programs, except where barred by law -- or challenge it, or enact the provisions\nof the executive order (and possibly added rules) and cover more programs. Proponents of\ncongressional action are concerned that an executive order may not be \"enough\" to support the policy\nin the longer term and would like to see some rules and programs not included in the order added. \nOpponents of the executive order or writing Charitable Choice rules into law are primarily worried\nover their implications for hiring discrimination and the prospect that religious content may be\ninfused into federally funded programs. \n Most recently, pending changes to the Workforce Investment Act, the Older Americans Act,\nthe Community Services Block Grant, and Head Start law would affect participation by faith-based\norganizations. In addition, a proposal to place into law the terms of EO13279 has been advanced,\nand TANF Charitable Choice rules have been extended through FY2010.\n This report will be updated as events warrant.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/RL32736", "sha1": "9935b3138d436d5b9d29d06db86feb5910e475fa", "filename": "files/20060712_RL32736_9935b3138d436d5b9d29d06db86feb5910e475fa.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/RL32736", "sha1": "174d4404241a8d95052d0d5e76eac7a9a550a02d", "filename": "files/20060712_RL32736_174d4404241a8d95052d0d5e76eac7a9a550a02d.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc810223/", "id": "RL32736_2006Mar28", "date": "2006-03-28", "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26", "title": "Charitable Choice Rules and Faith-Based Organizations", "summary": null, "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060328_RL32736_8b46d0d541311bf405aa438d0eaffae0a45ec100.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060328_RL32736_8b46d0d541311bf405aa438d0eaffae0a45ec100.html" } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc847754/", "id": "RL32736_2006Jan26", "date": "2006-01-26", "retrieved": "2016-06-02T05:26:07", "title": "Charitable Choice Rules and Faith-Based Organizations", "summary": "This report discusses the Bush administration's \"Charitable Choice\" agenda aimed at expanding the ability of faith-based organizations to provide federally funded social services.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20060126_RL32736_51c268d5297ce9b9d962f41b684451179ee42485.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20060126_RL32736_51c268d5297ce9b9d962f41b684451179ee42485.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Social services", "name": "Social services" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Charities", "name": "Charities" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Religion and politics", "name": "Religion and politics" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Welfare", "name": "Welfare" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Domestic Social Policy", "Health Policy" ] }