announced on Monday a proposal to rescind a Trump-era rule that greatly expanded religious exemption from anti-discrimination laws for federal contractors.Then-President Donald Trump enacted the rule in the last days of his presidency.
The expansion included employers who “hold themselves out to the public as carrying out a religious purpose.” Previously, the rule applied to a more select number of cases.Officials noted in a press release that rescinding the rule would take the department’s policy back to how it was used in the Obama and Bush administrations.“The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ proposed rescission would protect against discrimination and safeguard principles of religious freedom.