Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

29 U.S.C. § 169

Employees with religious convictions; payment of dues and fees

section 501(c)(3) of title 26Any 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 employment; 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 , 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.

July 5, 1935, ch. 372, § 19Pub. L. 93–360, § 388 Stat. 397Pub. L. 96–59394 Stat. 3452(, as added , , ; amended , , .)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 96–5931980— inserted reference to nonlabor organization and provisions respecting charges to employee for use of grievance-arbitration procedure, and struck out applicability of provisions to employees of health care institutions only.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 93–360, § 488 Stat. 397

section 183 of this title“The amendments made by this Act [enacting this section and and amending sections 152 and 158 of this title] shall become effective on the thirtieth day after its date of enactment [].”
, , , provided that: