MONTREAL - Quebec's secularism minister announced plans for new legislation aimed at tightening restrictions on religious symbols and practices in public spaces and educational institutions. Jean-François Roberge is set to introduce the bill on Thursday, more than six years after the province enacted its initial religious symbols ban under Bill 21.

Roberge stated that the province's secularism framework requires an update. "Quebecers have advanced since 2019, which means it is necessary to strengthen our model of secularism," he said during a press conference in Quebec City on Tuesday.

The proposed legislation will include a ban on prayer in public places, a move that comes amid ongoing tensions related to Muslim prayers at pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Roberge expressed concern, calling it "shocking" to see prayer used as a means of street blockage, describing it as a form of "provocation." While he did not provide specific details on the enforcement of the ban, he mentioned that exceptions might be considered.

The new bill will expand the existing religious symbols ban to cover all individuals working in the education sector, including daycares, colleges, and universities, as well as private schools. Bill 21, passed in 2019, already prohibited religious symbols such as hijabs and turbans for public sector employees in positions of authority, including teachers and police officers. A subsequent bill extended this ban to all individuals interacting with students in public elementary and high schools, including volunteers, and also prohibited face coverings for students.

Additionally, the upcoming legislation will outlaw prayer rooms in public institutions, particularly in colleges and universities. It will also prohibit full face coverings, such as the niqab, for post-secondary students. However, the new bill will not extend the ban on face coverings to public spaces, despite Roberge's previous support for such a measure at a party convention.

Roberge emphasized that the goal of the secularism law is not to impose the strictest measures possible. "We are going to draft a bill that is ambitious, but moderate," he stated.

The legislation will also impose restrictions on government funding for approximately 50 subsidized private religious schools in the province. The new conditions will require these schools to refrain from teaching religion during classroom hours. Premier François Legault has previously defended the funding against opposition calls for its elimination.

Furthermore, the bill will prohibit religious symbols from being displayed in communications from public institutions. This measure responds to a controversy over a welcome poster at Montreal's city hall that featured a woman wearing a hijab, which will no longer be allowed.

The legislation will also prevent subsidized daycares from serving food based solely on religious traditions, such as menus that offer only halal options.

The government is contemplating invoking the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to protect the legislation from potential constitutional challenges. Both the 2019 secularism bill and the recent extension of the religious symbols ban utilized this clause.

Roberge hinted at the new bill's introduction in a social media video, where he wrote, "This is how we live in Quebec" on its cover page. He referred to the upcoming legislation as "Secularism 2.0," which draws inspiration from an independent report released in August that recommended 50 ways to enhance secularism in the province.