Louisiana committee advances bill clarifying when church activities are treated as religious versus educational

House Bill 371, a measure intended to protect places of worship from what supporters described as inconsistent application of building‑code and zoning rules, was reported with amendments by the House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure on May 6.

The bill’s author, Representative Amity, told the committee the measure is written to ensure government does not “discriminate against places of worship by requiring restrictions that are greater than what they apply to secular businesses or services.” The committee adopted amendment set 2,176 and a later amendment making the bill effective on the governor’s signature before reporting the measure with amendments.

Supporters said the central problem is that local officials in some cases have treated weekday ministry activities — such as Vacation Bible School, Mother’s Day Out programs and homeschool co‑ops — as if they were secular education, triggering different building‑code and occupancy requirements. Richard Masse, senior counsel with Liberty Counsel, said the bill would “clarify for local officials that church activities or church ministry activities take place throughout the week” and requested a favorable report. “A church that has received its certificate of occupancy is safe for congregants and children to meet on other days of the week,” Masse said.

Pastor Jim Wolf of Ridge Avenue Baptist Church in West Monroe described a 19‑month dispute with fire‑marshal officials who he said have prevented the church from operating weekday outreach programs for children. “They told me you couldn’t do anything outside of Sundays and Wednesday nights,” Wolf said, and said the church has been unable to run outreach ministries since the prior May.

Dr. Will Hall, director for the Office of Public Policy for the Louisiana Baptist Convention, told the committee the issue is widespread and urged quick action: “When someone tells you that the activities you do on Sundays and Wednesdays is not religious on Mondays and Tuesdays, it exposes a vulnerability this committee needs to fix,” he said, and asked the chair to consider a letter to the governor and attorney general for executive‑action relief for the congregation.

Committee staff read amendment set 2,176 into the record; amendment 6 added definitions and a requirement that a church must have met zoning, building‑code and fire‑safety requirements and have a proper occupancy license before the bill’s protections apply. The committee also adopted amendment set 2,267 to make the bill effective upon the governor’s signature.

The committee recorded no formal objections and reported HB 371 with amendments for further consideration. No court or judicial ruling was enacted by the committee; the action was a committee report to advance the bill.

The committee’s minutes show members and witnesses raised safety and title‑clearing questions during discussion. Supporters repeatedly said the bill does not relax building‑safety requirements: Representative Amity noted the text requires an existing occupancy license as a prerequisite, and Dr. Hall said if there were genuine safety defects the committee should expect inspectors and engineers to enforce codes.

The bill drew several supporting witnesses and some members asked staff to consider drafting language to accelerate relief for the Ridge Avenue congregation while the bill moves through the process.