§ 300x-65. Services provided by nongovernmental organizations

(a) Purposes

The purposes of this section are—

(1) to prohibit discrimination against nongovernmental organizations and certain individuals on the basis of religion in the distribution of government funds to provide substance abuse services under this subchapter and subchapter III–A of this chapter, and the receipt of services under such subchapters; and

(2) to allow the organizations to accept the funds to provide the services to the individuals without impairing the religious character of the organizations or the religious freedom of the individuals.

(b) Religious organizations included as nongovernmental providers

(1) In general

A State may administer and provide substance abuse services under any program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to provide assistance to beneficiaries under such subchapters with nongovernmental organizations.

(2) Requirement

A State that elects to utilize nongovernmental organizations as provided for under paragraph (1) shall consider, on the same basis as other nongovernmental organizations, religious organizations to provide services under substance abuse programs under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter, so long as the programs under such subchapters are implemented in a manner consistent with the Establishment Clause of the first amendment to the Constitution. Neither the Federal Government nor a State or local government receiving funds under such programs shall discriminate against an organization that provides services under, or applies to provide services under, such programs, on the basis that the organization has a religious character.

(1) In general

A religious organization that provides services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter shall retain its independence from Federal, State, and local governments, including such organization’s control over the definition, development, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs.

(2) Additional safeguards

Neither the Federal Government nor a State or local government shall require a religious organization—

(A) to alter its form of internal governance; or

(B) to remove religious art, icons, scripture, or other symbols,

in order to be eligible to provide services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter.

(d) Employment practices

(1) Substance abuse

A religious organization that provides services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter may require that its employees providing services under such program adhere to rules forbidding the use of drugs or alcohol.

(2) Title VII exemption

The exemption of a religious organization provided under section 702 or 703(e)(2) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e–1, 2000e–2 (e)(2)) regarding employment practices shall not be affected by the religious organization’s provision of services under, or receipt of funds from, any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter.

(e) Rights of beneficiaries of assistance

(1) In general

If an individual described in paragraph (3) has an objection to the religious character of the organization from which the individual receives, or would receive, services funded under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter, the appropriate Federal, State, or local governmental entity shall provide to such individual (if otherwise eligible for such services) within a reasonable period of time after the date of such objection, services that—

(A) are from an alternative provider that is accessible to the individual; and

(B) have a value that is not less than the value of the services that the individual would have received from such organization.

(2) Notice

The appropriate Federal, State, or local governmental entity shall ensure that notice is provided to individuals described in paragraph (3) of the rights of such individuals under this section.

(3) Individual described

An individual described in this paragraph is an individual who receives or applies for services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter.

(f) Nondiscrimination against beneficiaries

A religious organization providing services through a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter shall not discriminate, in carrying out such program, against an individual described in subsection (e)(3) of this section on the basis of religion, a religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to actively participate in a religious practice.

(g) Fiscal accountability

(1) In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), any religious organization providing services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter shall be subject to the same regulations as other nongovernmental organizations to account in accord with generally accepted accounting principles for the use of such funds provided under such program.

(2) Limited audit

Such organization shall segregate government funds provided under such substance abuse program into a separate account. Only the government funds shall be subject to audit by the government.

(h) Compliance

Any party that seeks to enforce such party’s rights under this section may assert a civil action for injunctive relief exclusively in an appropriate Federal or State court against the entity, agency or official that allegedly commits such violation.

(i) Limitations on use of funds for certain purposes

No funds provided through a grant or contract to a religious organization to provide services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter shall be expended for sectarian worship, instruction, or proselytization.

(j) Effect on State and local funds

If a State or local government contributes State or local funds to carry out any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter, the State or local government may segregate the State or local funds from the Federal funds provided to carry out the program or may commingle the State or local funds with the Federal funds. If the State or local government commingles the State or local funds, the provisions of this section shall apply to the commingled funds in the same manner, and to the same extent, as the provisions apply to the Federal funds.

(k) Treatment of intermediate contractors

If a nongovernmental organization (referred to in this subsection as an “intermediate organization”), acting under a contract or other agreement with the Federal Government or a State or local government, is given the authority under the contract or agreement to select nongovernmental organizations to provide services under any substance abuse program under this subchapter or subchapter III–A of this chapter, the intermediate organization shall have the same duties under this section as the government but shall retain all other rights of a nongovernmental organization under this section.

U.S. Code

§ 300x-65. Services provided by nongovernmental organizations