These final regulations implement Executive branch policy that, within the framework of constitutional church-state guidelines, religiously affiliated (or "faith-based") organizations should be able to compete on an equal footing with other organizations for funding by the U.S. Department of Education (Department). We are revising Department regulations to remove barriers to the participation of faith-based organizations in Department programs and to ensure that these programs are implemented in a manner consistent with the requirements of the U.S. Constitution, including the Establishment, Free Exercise, and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment.