WEST virginia legislature

2021 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 304

By Senators  Maynard and Lindsay

[Introduced February 17, 2021; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §5-2-5, relating to requiring the Secretary of State to create and maintain an online database of religious organizations; providing effective date; requiring database contain certain information; and providing for annual update of database.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. SECRETARY OF STATE.

§5-2-5.  Online database of religious organizations.

(a) Effective July 1, 2021, the Secretary of State shall create and maintain a database of religious organizations within the state. 

(b) The database must be searchable and contain certain information regarding the religious organization, including the:

(1) Name; and

(2) Location or locations;

(3) Denomination; and

(4) Times of regular meetings or services that are open to the public.

(c) The secretary shall modify its forms to seek the information described in subsection (b) of this section, and shall update the database on an annual basis, at minimum.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the secretary of state to create and maintain a database of public information regarding religious organizations.

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