The US Department of Labor issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Wednesday that would implement a new rule clarifying federal contractors’ right to claim religious exemptions in cases of alleged hiring bias.
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ new rule, titled Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause’s Religious Exemption, would clarify Section 204(c) of Executive Order 11246, which exempts religious organizations from following nondiscriminatory hiring practices. A 2003 amendment to Executive Order 11246 originally excluded religious organizations from the nondiscrimination provisions.