Religious Liberty Commission Draft Report: Public Comments Due July 13
On Friday, June 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission delivered a draft report—along with 12 key recommendations—to the President. The draft is based on the commission’s prior public hearings and is entering a new phase: a limited public comment window.
For readers tracking church-state disputes and how federal agencies handle religious-liberty issues, the near-term action is straightforward. DOJ says the draft is open for public comment for 15 days, closing on Monday, July 13, 2026.
What the DOJ announcement confirms
DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs says the Religious Liberty Commission delivered the report with recommendations to the President after seven hearings held over the previous year. DOJ also says the hearings covered religious liberty in areas including military, education, and healthcare, and addressed issues like parental rights, faith-based institutions, and anti-Semitism and violence against houses of worship.
It’s important to note what’s not being announced here. This is a commission draft meant to inform the President—not a final rule, regulation, or enacted policy change by itself.
What’s inside the draft (12 recommendations at a high level)
DOJ’s press release summarizes the commission’s 12 recommendations, which broadly point toward possible future executive-branch actions. At a high level, the draft recommends steps such as:
- DOJ guidance clarifying how the Establishment Clause and separation of church and state should be understood.
- “Know Your Rights” materials for students, parents, public school teachers and administrators, religious leaders and institutions, healthcare workers, and military servicemembers.
- Written explanations within 30 days when a public official alleges, for people under their supervision, that someone improperly engaged in religious expression—grounded in a specific constitutional provision or law.
- DOJ, HHS, and the EEOC creating religious-liberty violation reporting hotlines/online portals for students, parents, teachers, healthcare workers, and others.
- Nominate and confirm federal judges who decide religious liberty cases on the merits.
- A DOJ religious-liberty task force to track and prioritize litigation protecting religious liberty.
- Combat anti-Semitism through civil-rights enforcement, litigation of credible allegations, and civic education.
- Protect religious Americans from government-led litigation targeting their free exercise.
- Repeal the Johnson Amendment.
- Order the Department of War to streamline and improve the religious accommodation process.
- Continue efforts to restore retirement or re-enlistment eligibility for service members who lost benefits tied to religious objections to COVID-19 vaccination.
- Create a Presidential Medal of Religious Liberty and “First Freedom Hero Awards” recognizing Americans who protect religious freedom.
How to submit public comments (and the July 13 deadline)
DOJ’s Religious Liberty Commission “Resources” page says the draft is open for public comment for 15 days, with the comment period closing on Monday, July 13, 2026. Comments may be emailed to RLC@usdoj.gov.
DOJ also provides a subject-line format intended to help route comments: PUBLIC COMMENT – [TOPIC OR CHAPTER NUMBER] – [NAME].
Two practical rules are especially important:
- Public inspection: DOJ says comments are open to public inspection and not confidential.
- Avoid personal addresses/PII: DOJ advises commenters not to include personally identifiable information, such as personal addresses.
What happens next after the comment period
After the 15-day comment period ends, DOJ says the commission will hold a virtual public meeting to review comments, discuss the draft, and then finalize the report. DOJ says attendance information will be posted on the commission’s “Upcoming Events” page and also in the Federal Register at least seven days before the meeting.
What to watch next
The July 13 comment deadline is the most immediate way members of the public can affect how the commission’s recommendations are shaped before finalization. After that, readers will want to watch for the release of the finalized report and any subsequent executive-branch guidance or agency actions that may follow—but those implementation steps will only become clear through later official updates.
Sources
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