On Feb. 16, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce approved a job-training bill that would allow, if it passes, federally funded religious organizations to discriminate against employees based on their religious beliefs. The committee also rejected an amendment that would have remedied the constitutional concerns. A $5 billion job-training bill, the Job Training Improvement Act (H.R. 27), would combine funding streams for adults, dislocated workers and employment services into a single state block grant. The change would give governors more discretion over how the money is spent, possibly causing some programs to lose funding while others could benefit. A controversial portion of the bill exempts religious organizations from a current provision that prevents all contractors under the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) from considering religious affiliation when hiring employees for a job-training program that is operated with federal funds. Any religious organization that receives federal funds from the Workforce Investment Act’s job-training programs could refuse to hire employees from different religious backgrounds. Currently, all recipients of federal money for job-training programs must not discriminate on the basis of religion. Many religious organizations participate in federally funded job-training programs without difficulty, and are in full compliance with the current regulation. The committee also rejected an amendment offered by Reps. Robert Scott (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) to reinstate the civil rights provision found in current law. Scott argued that because many churches are all white or all black, allowing religious preference in hiring would be tantamount to discrimination based on race. “The idea that we are debating whether you can discriminate with federal money would be a shock to most Americans. It’s surprising that we are discussing this and it is embarrassing that we are losing. I oppose discrimination, so I oppose the bill.” A lawsuit filed on Feb. 17 by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania and Americans United for Separation of Church and State underscores the importance of retaining the civil rights provisions. The complaint in Moeller v. Bradford County alleges the federal funding of the Firm Foundation program at the Bradford County Correctional Facility violates the Constitution by funneling public money to a program that proselytizes and hires only Christians. The county and the ministry operate a vocational training program for inmates in which a significant proportion of inmates’ time is spent on compulsory religious discussions, religious lectures and prayer, rather than on learning job skills. The complaint also alleges that program administrators discriminate in hiring workers based on their religious beliefs and affiliation. Over 90 percent of the budget for the program comes from federal, state and local government funds. The funding for the program originally came from a U.S. Department of Labor program under the Workforce Investment Act. Currently, The U.S. Department of Justice provides some of the funds that underwrite the Pennsylvania program being challenged.