RLUIPA, pronounced as /ɑr ɛl juː aɪ piː eɪ/ is an acronym for the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which was passed by the United States Congress in the year 2000. The spelling of this word is unique as it consists of the first letters of each word in its full form. The IPA phonetic transcription accurately represents the pronunciation of each letter in the word. The RLUIPA is a federal law that protects the rights of individuals and religious institutions from discrimination in land use and zoning laws.
The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) is a federal law enacted by the United States Congress in 2000 to protect religious freedom and prevent discrimination against religious individuals and institutions in the context of land use regulation and institutionalized persons. RLUIPA consists of two major provisions protecting different entities.
The land use provision of RLUIPA prohibits government entities from imposing or implementing land use regulations in a way that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person or religious institution, unless the government can demonstrate a compelling interest and that the regulation is the least restrictive means of achieving that interest.
The institutionalized persons provision of RLUIPA protects the religious exercise rights of individuals in prisons, jails, and other institutional settings. It prohibits these institutions from imposing substantial burdens on the religious exercise of inmates or residents unless the government can show a compelling interest and that the burden is the least restrictive means of achieving that interest.
Overall, RLUIPA is aimed at preventing discrimination against religious individuals and institutions by ensuring that government regulations do not infringe upon their religious exercise rights. It provides a mechanism for legal recourse if a person or institution believes their religious freedom has been unlawfully burdened by a land use regulation or infringement in an institutionalized setting.