HOUSE BILL No. 4331
March 8, 2017, Introduced by Reps. Noble, Glenn, Barrett, Miller, Bellino, Theis, Kelly, VanderWall, Kahle and Howell and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
A bill to amend 1846 RS 83, entitled
"Of marriage and the solemnization thereof,"
(MCL 551.1 to 551.18) by adding section 8.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 8. (1) A minister of the gospel, cleric, or religious
practitioner is not required to solemnize or recognize a marriage
that violates his or her conscience or religious beliefs. A
minister of the gospel, cleric, or religious practitioner is immune
from any civil claim or cause of action based on a refusal to
solemnize or recognize a marriage that violates his or her
conscience or religious beliefs.
(2) As used in this section:
(a) "Minister of the gospel, cleric, or religious
practitioner" includes an individual who is ordained by a religious
organization.
(b) "Recognize" means to provide religious-based services that
are both of the following:
(i) Delivered by a religious organization or by an individual
who is affiliated with, supervised, or directed by a religious
organization.
(ii) Designed for a married couple or a couple engaged to
marry and directly related to solemnizing, celebrating,
strengthening, or promoting a marriage, such as religious
counseling programs, courses, retreats, workshops, and services
provided at a wedding chapel.
(c) "Religious organization" means a 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 a for-profit organization
and any organization qualifying as a church or religious
organization under section 501(c)(3) or 501(d) of the United States
internal revenue code of 1986.
Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days
after the date it is enacted into law.