1. Short title This Act may be cited as the First Amendment Defense Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Leading legal scholars concur that conflicts between same-sex marriage and religious liberty are real and should be addressed through legislation. (2) As President Obama stated in response to the decision of the Supreme Court in United States v. Windsor, 133 S. Ct. 2675 (2013), Americans hold a wide range of views on the issue of same-sex marriage, and maintaining our Nation’s commitment to religious freedom is vital . (3) Nevertheless, in 2015, when asked whether a religious school could lose its tax-exempt status for opposing same-sex marriage, the Solicitor General of the United States Donald Verrilli represented to the United States Supreme Court that [i]t’s certainly going to be an issue . (4) Protecting religious freedom from government intrusion is a government interest of the highest order. Legislation advances this interest by remedying, deterring, and preventing government interference with religious exercise in a way that complements the protections mandated by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. (5) Laws that protect the free exercise of religious beliefs and moral convictions about marriage will encourage private citizens and institutions to demonstrate tolerance for those beliefs and convictions and therefore contribute to a more respectful, diverse, and peaceful society. (6) In a pluralistic society, in which people of good faith hold more than one view of marriage, it is possible for the government to recognize same-sex marriage as required by the United States Supreme Court without forcing persons with sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions to the contrary to conform. 3. Protection of the free exercise of religious beliefs and moral convictions (a) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Government shall not take any discriminatory action against a person, wholly or partially on the basis that such person