HB4012 S JUD AMT

Lovell 7908

The Committee on the Judiciary moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:

Eng. House Bill No. 4012 – A Bill to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §5-11C-1, §5-11C-2, §5-11C-3, §5-11C-4, §5-11C-5, §5-11C-6 and §5-11C-7, all relating to enacting the West Virginia Religious Freedom Protection Act; codifying the judicial test and standard of review to be applied and used in actions where persons assert that a governmental entity has by its action substantially burdened a person’s exercise of religion; defining terms; exempting application of act to correctional inmates and civilly committed violent sex offenders; clarifying that the act also applies to clerics and religious entities in addition to persons; prohibiting certain government conduct; clarify that the act is not intended to expand or diminish rights of persons under the federal and state constitutions, laws and ordinances; and setting forth the intent of the legislature.