West Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
West Virginia HB5416: relating to authority and notice requirements for religious organizations
Status: Passed one chamber, February 25, 2026
What the bill says
To amend and reenact §35-1-9 and §35-1-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; relating to religious organizations, churches, religious sects, societies, or denominations and their power to sell and convey property, borrow money, and encumber property; limiting the applicability of certain sections to unincorporated religious organizations; providing that incorporated religious organizations are governed by their articles of incorporation, bylaws, and applicable nonprofit corporation law with respect to conveyances and encumbrances of property; and exempting incorporated reli.
From the engrossed text, February 19, 2026:
A BILL to amend and reenact §35-1-9 and §35-1-10 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; relating to religious organizations, churches, religious sects, societies, or denominations and their power to sell and convey property, borrow money, and encumber property; limiting the applicability of certain sections to unincorporated religious organizations; providing that incorporated religious organizations are governed by their articles of incorporation, bylaws, and applicable nonprofit corporation law with respect to conveyances and encumbrances of property; and exempting incorporated religious organizations from certain notice requirements. ARTICLE 1. RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. §35-1-9. Power of trustee trustees of churches, to sell, convey religious sects, societies, or denominations to borrow money and sell, convey, and encumber property. (a) The trustee or trustees of any church, religious sect, society, or denomination within this state, whenever directed by the ecclesiastical officer or the delegated or select body to whom the authority to administer the affairs of such church, religious sect, society, or denomination is committed by its rules and ecclesiastical polity, or the trustee or trustees of any individual church, parish, congregation or branch of any religious sect, society or denomination within this state, whenever directed by a majority of the members of such individual church, parish, congregation or branch who are over eighteen years of age, or by the ecclesiastical officer or the delegated …