HB 489 No Religious Registry Act of 2017

About HB-489

No Religious Registry Act of 2017 This bill prohibits U.S. government officers or employees from collecting information or utilizing a registry or database to classify or surveil on the basis of religious affiliation:

• (1) U.S. nationals,
• (2) aliens lawfully present in the United States, or
• (3) aliens who apply for a visa or seek admission to the United States or on whose behalf a petition under the immigration laws is submitted

The bill also prohibits studies related to the collection of such information or the establishment or utilization of such a registry or database. Nothing in such prohibition may be construed to prohibit the collection of information that is provided voluntarily, and from which personally identifiable information is removed, to be used strictly for statistical purposes that do not violate this bill. Federal entities are prohibited from:

• (1) awarding a contract to an entity to collect information or establish a registry that would violate this bill, or
• (2) purchasing information on religious affiliation from a nonfederal entity for such purposes.