A bill that would protect the rights of workers who wear religious-oriented clothing at work was overwhelmingly passed by the California Assembly on Tuesday, May 28.

AB 1964 now goes to the State Senate, where its proponents hope it will pass before the Legislature adjourns at the end of August. Then it would go to Gov. Jerry Brown for his signature.

The bill, dubbed the Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2012, essentially would not break new ground but would clarify the federal Fair Employment and Housing Act, said Rachel Linn, spokeswoman for Assemblywoman Mariko Yamada, D-Davis, author of the measure.

This clarification could prevent an employer from being sued by workers who believe their freedom to wear religious-oriented clothing was being impinged, Linn said.

“This does not change much, but we wanted to help employers by making what’s in federal law more clear,” Linn said. “”We talked to a lot of lawyers who’ve said this could decrease the amount of litigation.”

The bill, which moved through several assembly committees with little opposition, was supported by a broad collation of religious affiliations, including Muslim, Sikh, Catholic and Jewish organizations as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.   »»» Press-Enterprise (U.S.)

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