(a) A VISTA may not give religious instruction, conduct worship services, or engage in any form of proselytizing as part of their duties.
(b) A sponsor or subrecipient may retain its independence and may continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use any AmeriCorps assistance, including the services of any VISTA or VISTA assistance, to support any inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing, as part of the programs or services assisted by the VISTA program. If a VISTA sponsor or subrecipient conducts such inherently religious activities, the activities must be offered separately, in time or location, from the programs or services assisted under this Part by the VISTA program.
authority: 42 U.S.C. 4951-4953;
5 CFR part 734,
42 U.S.C. 4953(a), (f), 4954(b), (e), 4955(b), 4956, 5043(a)-(c), 5044(a)-(c), (e), 5046, 5052, 5056, and 5057;
42 U.S.C. 12651b (g)(10);
42 U.S.C. 12651c(c); E.O. 13279, 67 FR 77141, 3 CFR, 2002 Comp., p. 2156,
42 U.S.C. 4954(a), (b), (d), 4955, 5044(e), 5055, and 5059;
42 U.S.C. 12602(c),
42 U.S.C. 4953(b), (c), (f), and 5044(e)
source: 88 FR 31180, May 16, 2023, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 45 CFR 2556.175