U.S. Labor Department axes Trump-era expansion of anti-bias exemptions

The U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday withdrew a rule adopted in the last days of the administration of former Republican President Donald Trump that had expanded a religious exemption from anti-discrimination laws for federal contractors.

The department’s rescission of the 2021 rule, which had been criticized by civil rights groups, restores a previous, narrower exemption that allows churches and their affiliates to only hire members of their religion.

The Trump-era rule had broadened the exemption to cover any employers who “hold themselves out to the public as carrying out a religious purpose,” rather than only organizations with an explicitly religious mission.

The Trump administration framed the rule as a necessary step to ensure the full participation of religious organizations in the federal contractor system.