Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 3.djvu/808

 94 STAT. 3452

PUBLIC LAW 96-593—DEC. 24, 1980

Public Law 96-593 96th Congress An Act Dec. 24, 1980 [H.R. 4774]

National Labor Relations Act, amendment. 29 USC 169. Labor unions, conscientious objectors.

26 USC 501.

To amend the National Labor Relations Act to provide that any employee who is a member of a religion or sect historically holding conscientious objection to joining or financially supporting a labor organization shall not be required to do so.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 19 of the National Labor Relations Act be replaced by a new section 19 as follows: "SEC. 19. Any employee who is a member of and adheres to established and traditional tenets or teachings of a bona fide religion, body, or sect which has historically held conscientious objections to joining or financially supporting labor organizations shall not be required to join or financially support any labor organization as a condition of emplo3ment; except that such employee may be required in a contract between such employees' employer and a labor organization in lieu of periodic dues and initiation fees, to pay sums equal to such dues and initiation fees to a nonreligious, nonlabor organization charitable fund exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of title 26 of the Internal Revenue Code, chosen by such employee from a list of at least three such funds, designated in such contract or if the contract fails to designate such funds, then to any such fund chosen by the employee. If such employee who holds conscientious objections pursuant to this section requests the labor organization to use the grievance-arbitration procedure on the employee's behalf, the labor organization is authorized to charge the employee for the reasonable cost of using such procedure.". Approved December 24, 1980.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: HOUSE REPORT No. 96-496 (Comm. on Education and Labor). CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 126 (1980): Feb. 11, 12, considered and passed House. Dec. 13, considered and passed Senate. WEEKLY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS, Vol. 17, No. 1: Jan. 2, Presidential statement.

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