State-Level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts

State-level Religious Freedom Restoration Acts (RFRAs) are laws modeled on the federal RFRA of 1993. After the Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the federal law did not bind the states, about 20 states passed their own versions. These laws let individuals and companies argue in court that a government requirement substantially burdens their exercise of religion. LGBTQ+ advocates warn that they can be used as a shield for refusing service, employment, adoption placements, or health care on religious grounds. The debate drew national attention in 2015 when Indiana passed its RFRA and faced widespread boycotts and criticism. Research has linked such laws to worse reported health among sexual minority adults, and the tension between religious liberty and nondiscrimination protections remains legally unsettled.