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2017 Mississippi Code
Title 11 - Civil Practice and Procedure
Chapter 62 - Protecting Freedom of Conscience From Government Discrimination Act
§ 11-62-17. Definitions
Universal Citation: MS Code § 11-62-17 (2017)
- As used in this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings ascribed in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
- (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.
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