Religious Liberty and Regulations: Implications of Overturning Chevron
Federal agencies have often used the regulatory process to impose mandates that infringe on key rights of religious exercise and conscience. But this spring, the Supreme Court overturned the longstanding doctrine of congressional delegation known as Chevron deference. What does that mean for congressional authority and how religious freedom is impacted by agency rules?
Our panel will discuss this question—and how congressional staff can effectively engage the regulatory process—through the lens of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The PWFA was passed in 2022 to protect the health of expecting mothers in the workforce. But a federal agency used the implementing regulation to impose an abortion mandate on workplaces nationwide, without express Congressional authorization and over the objections of numerous Members of Congress. The final regulation is now the subject of multiple lawsuits, including in United States Conference of Catholic Bishops v. EEOC.
Panel discussion featuring:
