A. No regularly licensed, ordained or authorized official of any religious organization shall be required to solemnize or recognize any marriage that violates the official's conscience or religious beliefs. A regularly licensed, ordained or authorized official of any religious organization shall be immune from any civil claim or cause of action based on a refusal to solemnize or recognize any marriage that violates the official's conscience or religious beliefs.
B. As used in this section:
1. "Recognize" means to provide religious-based services that:
a.are delivered by a religious organization or by an individual who is managed, supervised or directed by a religious organization, and
b.are designed for married couples or couples engaged to marry and are directly related to solemnizing, celebrating, strengthening or promoting a marriage, such as religious counseling programs, courses, retreats and workshops; and
2. "Religious organization" means any church, seminary, synagogue, temple, mosque, religious order, religious corporation, association or society, whose identity is distinctive in terms of common religious creed, beliefs, doctrines, practices or rituals of any faith or denomination, including any organization qualifying as a church or religious organization under Section 501(c)(3) or 501(d) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.
Added by Laws 2015, c. 204, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2015.
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