WEST virginia legislature

2024 regular session

Introduced

Senate Joint Resolution 6

By Senators Roberts, Azinger, Barrett, Boley, Chapman, Deeds, Jeffries, Martin, Maynard, Nelson, Oliverio, Phillips, Queen, Rucker, Smith, Stover, Stuart, Swope, Takubo, Tarr, Weld, Clements, Taylor, Grady, Maroney, Woodrum, Plymale, Trump, and Hunt

[Introduced January 22, 2024; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending section 47, article VI thereof, relating to authorizing the incorporation of religious denominations; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:

That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the state at the next general election to be held in the year 2024, which proposed amendment is that section 47, article VI thereof, be amended to read as follows:

Article VI. The Legislature.

§47. Incorporation of religious denominations prohibited permitted.

No charter of incorporation shall be granted to any church or religious denomination.  Provisions may be made by general laws for securing the title to church property, and for the sale and transfer thereof, so that it shall be held, used, or transferred for the purposes of such church, or religious denomination.  Provisions may also be made by general laws for churches or religious denominations that choose to incorporate.

Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, such amendment is hereby numbered “Amendment 1” and designated as the “Incorporation of Churches or Religious Denominations Amendment” and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: “To authorize the incorporation of churches or religious denominations that choose to incorporate.”

NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to authorize the incorporation of churches or religious denominations which choose to incorporate.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.