Religious Use Law in South Florida
To settle a case challenging the Johnson Amendment, the IRS has proposed to allow at least two churches to endorse candidates from the pulpit. This proposal has received widespread attention, but many questions remain...more
In a joint motion filed on July 7 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) stated that religious organizations may speak about political campaigns and candidates to...more
On July 7, 2025, in National Religious Broadcasters, et al. v. Billy Long, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Services, et al., Docket no: 6:24-cv-00311-JCB (E.D. Texas) (“NRB”), the IRS entered into a consent decree in...more
The Internal Revenue Service has reached a settlement, subject to court approval, that would permit political speech in houses of worship. Background - Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code defines an organization...more
On July 7, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) overturned an over 70-year-old interpretation of the Internal Revenue Code via a federal court filing in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which now...more
Shortly after being sworn into office for the second time in January 2025, among his many actions taken related to immigration, President Trump directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to rescind guidance that...more
Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) is charged with the arrest, detention and removal of certain non-citizens. In certain situations, ICE may com to your worksite to arrest such a non-citizen. Below is a guidance on the...more
For over a decade, agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) were instructed pursuant to official policies to refrain from conducting law enforcement actions in or near various “sensitive locations”...more
On the newly installed Trump Administration's first day, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rescinded the Biden Administration's guidelines for immigration enforcement actions in or near protected areas, such as...more
In order to resolve hundreds of Child Victims Act lawsuits alleging sexual abuse, the Diocese of Rockville Centre commenced chapter 11 to seek protection for itself, its parishes, and schools, as well as providing equitable...more
In the chapter 11 bankruptcy case of In re Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, Case No. 20-12345 (MG), the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York recently approved settlement agreements...more
Administrators of governmental plans and church plans that are not subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) should review the following actions to be taken before the end of 2024 and address what...more
On October 25, Pennsylvania Attorney General (AG) Michelle Henry announced a court order requiring the pastor and founder of Peniel Christian Fellowship International to pay $305,704 in restitution for allegedly misusing...more
Fired Pastor's Ousting During Church Service Did Not Violate His Free Exercise Rights Anthony J. Sirven In Couzens v. City of Forest Park, Ohio, 114 F.4th 571, 574 (6th Cir. 2024), church leaders hired off-duty municipal...more
A recent federal court decision has ruled that West Virginia must allow churches to incorporate, marking a significant shift in how religious organizations in the state can operate. This ruling opens up new opportunities for...more
Prior to this opinion, you might have assumed that funds your church charged for providing food, beverages, or lodging related to a religious activity were tax-exempt and not liable for state sales tax. We are writing to...more
California readers most likely are aware of the fact that California's nonprofit corporate law is triadic. Thus, it possible to organize a nonprofit corporation as a public benefit corporation, a mutual benefit corporation...more
In Immanuel Baptist Church v. City of Chicago, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently ruled that the City of Chicago had violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons...more
The California Corporations Code allows for the incorporation of a corporation sole by the bishop, chief priest, presiding elder, or other presiding officer of any religious denomination, society, or church, for the purpose...more
The City of MilwaukeeHouse with Calculator (and various other municipalities) has sent its Biennial Property Tax Exemption Report and Filing Fee Notices. Owners of tax-exempt real property in Wisconsin must file a Form PC-220...more
The Church of the Celestial Heart is a California nonprofit religious corporation seeks to import and use a sacramental tea. It so happens that this tea, which is also called Daime or ayahuasca, carries trace amounts of a...more
Congress continues to pass laws that move 403(b) plans ever closer to 401(k) plans, but 403(b) plans remain distinct. Understanding these differences allows you to maintain a compliant plan that best serves the needs of your...more
The decision of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in Satanic Temple, Inc. v. Saucon Valley School District, ___ F.Supp.3d ___, 2023 WL 3182934, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 75001 (May 1, 2023) is a...more
What is It? The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 to document the history and legacy of residential schools, which were operated between the late 1800s and the late 1990s by the...more
On October 11, 2023, Governor Newsom signed SB 4, the Affordable Housing on Faith Lands Act (also known as "Yes in God's Back Yard" (YIGBY)), which promises to be one of the momentous housing bills of 2023. Sponsored by...more