Bill Text: VA HB2025 | 2017 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Religious freedom; solemnization of marriage.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)
Status: (Vetoed) 2017-04-05 - House sustained Governor's veto [HB2025 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2017-HB2025-Enrolled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 57-2.03 as follows:
§57-2.03. Religious freedom; marriage.
A. For purposes of this section, unless the context requires a different meaning:
"Penalty" means any action taken by the Commonwealth, or its political subdivisions or representatives or agents, that (i) alters in any way the tax treatment of, or causes any tax, tax penalty, or payment to be assessed against, or denies, delays, or revokes an exemption from taxation of, any person; (ii) disallows a deduction for tax purposes of any charitable contribution made to or by any person; or (iii) withholds, reduces, excludes, terminates, or otherwise makes unavailable or denies (a) any state grant, contract, subcontract, cooperative agreement, guarantee, loan, scholarship, license, certification, accreditation, employment, or other similar position or status from or to any person; (b) any entitlement or benefit under a state benefit program, including admission to, equal treatment in, or eligibility for a degree from an educational program, from or to any person; or (c) any entitlement to state property, facilities, educational institutions, speech forums, or charitable fundraising campaigns from or to any person.
"Person" means any (i) religious organization; (ii) organization supervised or controlled by or operated in connection with a religious organization; (iii) individual employed by a religious organization while acting in the scope of his paid or volunteer employment; (iv) successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality of any of the foregoing; or (v) clergy member or minister.
B. No person shall be:
1. Required to participate in the solemnization of any marriage; or
2. Subject to any penalty by the Commonwealth, or its political subdivisions or representatives or agents, notwithstanding any other provision of law, solely on account of such person's belief, speech, or action in accordance with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction that marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman.
