(1) “State benefit program” means any program administered or funded by the state, or by any agent on behalf of the state, providing cash, payments, grants, contracts, loans or in-kind assistance.

(2) “State government” means:

(a) The State of Mississippi or a political subdivision of the state;

(b) Any agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state, including a department, bureau, board, commission, council, court or public institution of higher education;

(c) Any person acting under color of state law; and

(d) Any private party or third party suing under or enforcing a law, ordinance, rule or regulation of the state or political subdivision of the state.

(3) “Person” means:

(a) A natural person, in his or her individual capacity, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof, or in his or her capacity as a member, officer, owner, volunteer, employee, manager, religious leader, clergy or minister of any entity described in this section;

(b) A religious organization;

(c) A sole proprietorship, or closely held company, partnership, association, organization, firm, corporation, cooperative, trust, society or other closely held entity operating with a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction described in this chapter; or

(d) Cooperatives, ventures or enterprises comprised of two (2) or more individuals or entities described in this subsection.

(4) “Religious organization” means:

(a) A house of worship, including, but not limited to, churches, synagogues, shrines, mosques and temples;

(b) A religious group, corporation, association, school or educational institution, ministry, order, society or similar entity, regardless of whether it is integrated or affiliated with a church or other house of worship; and

(c) An officer, owner, employee, manager, religious leader, clergy or minister of an entity or organization described in this subsection (4).

(5) “Adoption or foster care” or “adoption or foster care service” means social services provided to or on behalf of children, including:

(a) Assisting abused or neglected children;

(b) Teaching children and parents occupational, homemaking and other domestic skills;

(c) Promoting foster parenting;

(d) Providing foster homes, residential care, group homes or temporary group shelters for children;

(e) Recruiting foster parents;

(f) Placing children in foster homes;

(g) Licensing foster homes;

(h) Promoting adoption or recruiting adoptive parents;

(i) Assisting adoptions or supporting adoptive families;

(j) Performing or assisting home studies;

(k) Assisting kinship guardianships or kinship caregivers;

(l) Providing family preservation services;

(m) Providing family support services; and

(n) Providing temporary family reunification services.