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S. 3526 112th Congress Senate

Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012

Official title: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to protect the rights of conscience of members of the Armed Forces and chaplains of members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

Introduced: November 14, 2012 Introduced by: Roger F. Wicker Republican · Mississippi See on congress.gov
Armed Forces and National Security Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of DefenseEmployment discrimination and employee rightsMarriage and family status
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Military facilities and propertyMilitary personnel and dependentsReligionSex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 11, 2012
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Sep 11, 2012
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action September 11, 2012

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012 - Requires the Armed Forces to accommodate the conscience and sincerely held moral principles and religious beliefs of its members concerning the appropriate and inappropriate expression of human sexuality, and prohibits the Armed Forces from using such conscience, principles, or beliefs (beliefs) as the basis of any adverse personnel action, discrimination, or denial of promotion, schooling, training, or assignment. Prohibits any member from: (1) directing, ordering, or requiring a chaplain to perform any duty, rite, service, or function that is contrary to his or her beliefs; or (2) discriminating or taking any adverse personnel action against a chaplain for refusing to comply with a direction, order, or requirement that is against his or her beliefs.

Prohibits a military installation or other property owned, rented, or under the jurisdiction or control of the Department of Defense (DOD) from being used to officiate, solemnize, or perform a marriage or marriage-like ceremony involving anything other than the union of one man with one woman.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-3526/
MLA
"S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-3526/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 3526, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-3526/.
Markdown link
[S. 3526: Military Religious Freedom Act of 2012](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-S-3526/)
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