DOJ updates religious liberty guidance for federal agencies

The U.S. Department of Justice issued updated guidance on Thursday, July 23, 2026, directing all federal agencies to give greater consideration to religious liberty protections when crafting regulations, enforcing laws, and managing federal employment and contracting. The memorandum, released by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, is the first revision to the department's formal guidance on the issue since 2017 and incorporates nearly a decade of Supreme Court precedent.

The guidance instructs executive departments and agencies to ensure their policies comply with the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and other applicable laws. It states that religious exercise includes not only belief and worship but also religious conduct in daily life, and that such conduct must be "reasonably accommodated" whenever practicable and permitted by law.

Among the specific directives, agencies are told to consider religious liberty concerns earlier in the regulatory process, proactively review proposed rules for compliance, and respond to related objections raised during public comment periods. In federal employment, the guidance...