White House to Propose Regulations Implementing Faith-Based Agenda - September 3, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 18

September 3, 2002 Vol. 3 No. 18:

Published: 09/03/2002

Printable Version
Email to a Friend

White House to Propose Regulations Implementing Faith-Based Agenda

According to a Washington Post story on August 31, the Bush administration does not plan to wait for Congress to pass the CARE Act before moving forward with proposed changes in regulations aimed at making it easier for faith-based groups to apply for and receive federal funds.

The proposed regulations are to be completed by the end of this year. The White House Office on Faith Based and Community Initiatives will also host a series of conferences around the country, beginning in Atlanta on October 10. Details are not yet available.

The purpose of the conferences is not clear, but it is expected the focus will be on federal grant procedures and how they apply to faith-based organizations. The administration has not given up on the CARE Act, however, saying it is a priority for this fall. The bill, which passed the Senate Finance Committee in June, would need to be reconciled with the House version, HR 7, which has much more controversial provisions on charitable choice. Supporters of the CARE Act are urging the House to adopt the Senate version of the faith-based initiative in order to avoid what a Senate strategist told the Washington Post would be a debate that would “dredge up a lot of wounds and suspicion and ill will.” See a summary of the CARE Act as passed by the Senate Finance Committee.

Past administration efforts at regulatory implementation of the faith-based initiative have reflected preferences for faith-based groups over secular ones, including attempts to set aside funds that only faith-based groups would be eligible to apply for. These discriminatory efforts were withdrawn after objections were raised, but may reappear in this new regulatory initiative. For details see this OMB Watch article on regulatory implementation of charitable choice.

The regulatory changes are likely to feature recommendations from the administration's August 2001 report Unlevel Playing Field, which found that many of the barriers faith-based organizations find in the grantmaking process are not legislatively mandated and could be changed through the regulatory process. See our summary and analysis.