S. 4340: SACRED Act

116th Congress · introduced 2020-07-28 · Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-07-28 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

SACRED Act

Plain summary

Safeguarding Americans from Coronavirus and Religious Exercise Discrimination Act or the SACRED Act This bill makes a state or local jurisdiction that discriminates against religious individuals or religious institutions ineligible to receive or use funds allocated, appropriated, or authorized to address COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, a state or local jurisdiction violates this bill's prohibition if it (1) enforces, or announces the intent to enforce, any law, regulation, policy, order, proclamation, or decree related to COVID-19 that discriminates against religious individuals or religious institutions; or (2) provides, or shows an intention to provide, funds to a separate jurisdiction that is ineligible to receive or use those funds because the jurisdiction has committed a violation. The Department of Justice shall determine whether a state or local jurisdiction is ineligible to receive or use such funds.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

SACRED Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Lee (R-UT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] reported raising $12.4 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Jurisdiction: The area or the matters a government or court has authority over.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-116s4340.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s4340 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116