DOJ Religious Liberty Commission draft comment period closes July 13—what to watch next

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Religious Liberty Commission has released a 224-page draft report for public comment, and DOJ says the comment period closed Monday, July 13, 2026. The draft urges federal agencies and public officials to change how they communicate religious-liberty expectations in education and other public settings, and it calls for additional DOJ-focused enforcement and litigation priorities.

What the Commission released, and the key dates

DOJ says the Religious Liberty Commission released its draft report on Friday, June 26, 2026, and that it was open to public comment for 15 days, with the comment period closing Monday, July 13, 2026.

DOJ also provided submission instructions: comments were accepted by email at RLC@usdoj.gov. DOJ said commenters should format the subject line as “PUBLIC COMMENT – [TOPIC OR CHAPTER NUMBER] – [NAME]”.

DOJ further warned that public comments are open to public inspection (not confidential). DOJ said people should avoid including personally identifiable information, such as personal addresses.

What the draft report recommends

In DOJ’s summary of the draft, the Commission frames the recommendations around clarifying the Establishment Clause and the idea of separation of church and state. Among the 12 key recommendations highlighted in DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs announcement, the draft calls for:

DOJ guidance clarifying how the Establishment Clause and church-state separation should be understood.
“Know Your Rights” posters and related materials for multiple audiences, including students, parents, public school teachers and administrators, and additional groups such as religious leaders, religious institutions, healthcare workers, and military servicemembers.
A procedural requirement aimed at public officials: when a public official alleges that someone under their supervision improperly engaged in religious expression, the official would have to provide the person accused a written explanation within 30 days, tied to a specific constitutional or legal provision.
Hotlines and online portals for students, parents, teachers, healthcare workers, and others to obtain support in the face of religious-liberty violations and help increase awareness of existing reporting channels.
Federal judiciary guidance: nominate and confirm judges, where warranted, who decide religious liberty cases on the merits rather than use “judicial avoidance.”
DOJ enforcement and accountability: create a religious liberty task force to track and prioritize litigation protecting religious liberty.
Civil-rights and anti-Semitism enforcement through enforcement of civil rights laws, litigation of credible allegations, and civic education.
Steps described as meant to protect religious Americans from government-led litigation targeting their free exercise.
Repeal of the Johnson Amendment.

Who could see practical changes first

The draft’s most immediate “how-to” impact—if recommendations move forward—appears focused on how federal agencies and public institutions communicate with people directly involved in religious-liberty disputes:

Schools and school staff: DOJ’s summary says the draft calls for “Know Your Rights” posters and related education materials for students, parents, and public school teachers and administrators.
Public officials handling complaints: the 30-day written-explanation concept is aimed at the procedural treatment of alleged religious-expression issues in the chain of supervision.
People seeking help after alleged violations: the draft calls for hotlines/portal-style reporting channels to make it easier to get support and information.

What happens next after the comment period

DOJ says the next step is a virtual public meeting where the Commission will review the comments, discuss the draft, and finalize the report.

DOJ’s resources page says the attendance information will be posted on the Commission’s “Upcoming Events” page and in the Federal Register at least seven (7) days before the meeting.

Separate from the comment process, NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth reported that President Trump said the recommendations would still need broader support and that proposals of this kind would require executive action or legislation before they could take effect.

What readers can do now

Watch for the Federal Register notice and the Commission’s “Upcoming Events” posting for the virtual meeting attendance details.
Track what changes from draft to finalized report: this draft is an advice/reporting product opened for public comment, not an immediate binding policy on its own.
Pay attention to education and public-official procedures, since the draft’s most concrete, day-to-day targeted measures focus on school-facing “Know Your Rights” materials and a written-explanation framework for alleged religious-expression violations.

Sources

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