{"abstract":"The U.S. Small Business Administration (\"SBA\" or \"Agency\") is proposing to remove five regulatory provisions that run afoul of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. All five provisions make certain faith-based organizations ineligible to participate in certain SBA business loan and disaster assistance programs because of their religious status. Because the provisions exclude a class of potential participants based solely on their religious status, the provisions violate the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. SBA now proposes to remove the provisions to ensure in its business loan and disaster assistance programs the equal treatment for faith-based organizations that the Constitution requires.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION","name":"Small Business Administration","id":468,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/small-business-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/468","parent_id":null,"slug":"small-business-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2021/01/19/2021-00446.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":109,"title":13},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":120,"title":13},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":123,"title":13}],"citation":"86 FR 5036","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2021-02-18","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before February 18, 2021.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket Number SBA-2020-0057"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[],"agency_name":"SBA","documents":[{"comment_count":2611,"comment_start_date":"2021-01-19","updated_at":"2023-02-28T13:10:27.155-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/SBA-2021-0007-0001","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"SBA-2021-0007-0001","comment_end_date":"2021-02-19","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":0,"id":"SBA-2021-0007","title":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith Based Organizations in SBA’s Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs"}],"document_number":"2021-00446","effective_on":null,"end_page":5040,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2021/01/19/2021-00446.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/01/19/2021-00446/ensuring-equal-treatment-for-faith-based-organizations-in-sbas-loan-and-disaster-assistance-programs","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2021-00446?publication_date=2021-01-19","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2021-01-19/2021-00446/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":5,"page_views":{"count":3402,"last_updated":"2026-04-17 22:15:06 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-19/pdf/2021-00446.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2021-00446.pdf?1610640929","publication_date":"2021-01-19","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2021/01/19/2021-00446.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"3245-AH60":{"issue":"202310","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/3245-AH60/ensuring-equal-treatment-for-faith-based-organizations-in-sba-s-loan-and-disaster-assistance-program","title":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA's Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202310&RIN=3245-AH60&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["3245-AH60"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/3245-AH60/ensuring-equal-treatment-for-faith-based-organizations-in-sba-s-loan-and-disaster-assistance-program","title":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA's Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs"},"comments_count":2611,"agency_id":"SBA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=SBA-2021-0007","supporting_documents_count":0,"docket_id":"SBA-2021-0007","document_id":"SBA-2021-0007-0001","regulation_id_number":"3245-AH60","title":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith Based Organizations in SBA’s Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-02-28T18:10:26Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":5036,"subtype":null,"title":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA's Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs","toc_doc":"Ensuring Equal Treatment for Faith-Based Organizations in SBA's Loan and Disaster Assistance Programs","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Disaster assistance","Loan programs-business","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Small businesses"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":86}