Religious rights grow in Trenton, Assembly package affects patients and employees

An Orthodox Jew is rushed to the hospital and balks when asked to sign admission papers on the Sabbath.

All would be entitled to have their concerns taken seriously under a package of five bills that passed the Assembly yesterday. It would require employers, health care facilities, colleges and universities and public agencies to make reasonable accommodations for religious observances. "Religious freedom has always been one of America's core values," said the sponsor, Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic). "These bills will help protect New Jerseyans' expressions of faith and belief."

The five bills in his package passed overwhelmingly with no debate and were sent to the Senate for further consideration. Only one (A3451), requiring employers to accommodate their workers' religious holidays, drew any dissent, passing 71-2 with seven abstentions. The bill would not guarantee that every employee who wants time off for religious reasons would get it. Employers could deny such a request if it would impose an "undue hardship" on the business.

Employees would have to make up any time lost for religious observances or it could be charged to them as leave taken without pay. But an employer that failed to make a good-faith effort to accommodate a worker's sincere desire to observe a religious holiday could be sued or administratively prosecuted under the state Law Against Discrimination. "We're not looking for a way to hurt employers," Schaer said, adding that his package is modeled after laws in effect in New York state. "New York has practical experience with it and it has not affected anyone negatively, from what we understand," Schaer said.

SCHAER RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION BILLS SET FOR ASSEMBLY FLOOR VOTE ON MONDAY

A-3512 requires all New Jersey colleges and universities to make accommodations for students whose religious obligations prevent participation in a test schedule on the date of religious observance, such as the Jewish observances of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the Islamic celebration of Eid al-Fitr, and Christian observances of Ash Wednesday. Administrators of standardized tests - such as the Graduate Record Examination, Medical College Admission Test, Law School Admission Test - similarly would be required to provide alternative testing arrangements.
A-3513 mandates alternate testing dates for days when government-licensing tests conflict with days of religious observance.
A-3515 ensures that nursing home residents have the right to receive - upon request - foods that meet their respective religious dietary requirements. The bill was amended in committee to provide that patients must inform nursing homes that they require such dietary considerations at the time of admission and that any additional expense incurred from the purchase of such food shall be born by the patient.
A-3517 prevents hospitals and other health care facilities from requiring patients or their family members to sign admission papers at times when their religious beliefs prohibit them from signing papers.
A-3451 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees because of their religious practices.

"As a nation that draws strength from its rich diversity, these bills will help to protect New Jerseyan's expression of faith and belief," said Schaer. The floor voting session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, June 11, in the Assembly Chambers, State House, 125 West State Street, Trenton.

This is not a good thing. As if NJ wasn’t a bad enough place to conduct business without the Dems pushing the new paid time off bill, now they want to increase the number of days any one can take off.

Just wait until Church of the Creator followers start taking off April 19th to commemorate Hitler’s birthday. Or when Shia employees start cutting themselves at work on Ashoura, taunting their bosses to reprimand them so the employee can file discrimination lawsuits.

This bill was probably pushed by the tort lawyers, not the religious community.

This is bad news a thousands ways to Sunday.

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