1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to religious societies; requiring congregational approval of certain 
1.3 	actions;amending Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 315.15; proposing coding 
1.4 	for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 315.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2010, section 315.15, is amended to read:
1.7 	315.15 PARISH CORPORATIONS, ORGANIZATION.
1.8 		Subdivision 1.Incorporation. The bishop of a religious denomination may join 
1.9 	with the vicar general of the diocese and the pastor of the parish where the corporation is 
1.10 	to be located, within the bishop's diocese for the purpose of incorporating. The bishop, 
1.11 	vicar general, and pastor, or a majority of them, shall designate and join with two lay 
1.12 	members of the denomination. These five shall adopt, sign, and acknowledge a certificate 
1.13 	of incorporation reciting the fact of association, and the selection of lay members, and 
1.14 	containing the name, general purpose, and place of location of the corporation. When they 
1.15 	have recorded the certificate with the county recorder of the county where the corporation 
1.16 	is located, they and their successors become a corporation, subject to the requirements, 
1.17 	and with the rights, powers, and privileges, of a religious corporation.
1.18 	The persons at any time holding the offices specified in any diocese are, by virtue 
1.19 	of their respective offices, members of the corporation and, with the two lay members, 
1.20 	constitute it, but on ceasing to hold office, they cease to be members, and their successors 
1.21 	in office become members. The two lay members designated remain members for two 
1.22 	years from the date of the certificate, after that their term of office is two years, in either 
1.23 	case until their successors are chosen. They must always be designated and appointed by 
1.24 	the bishop, vicar general, and pastor, who shall also fill vacancies in their number. Their 
2.1 	appointment must be in writing and entered upon the records of the corporation. If there is 
2.2 	a vacancy in the office of bishop of any diocese, or if another person is appointed in the 
2.3 	bishop's stead to administer the spiritual and temporal affairs of the diocese, then, during 
2.4 	the vacancy or suspension of authority, the administrator of the affairs of the diocese, 
2.5 	or any other person appointed under the rules of the denomination to preside over and 
2.6 	administer its affairs, is, while acting as administrator or appointee, a member of the 
2.7 	corporation, with the rights and powers of membership; but the membership ends when 
2.8 	the vacancy is filled or suspension of authority removed.
2.9 	If a diocese in which the corporation is located is subdivided according to the rules 
2.10 	and practice of the denomination, and one or more new dioceses formed from it or its 
2.11 	parts, the bishop and vicar general of the new diocese and their successors in office, as 
2.12 	soon as appointed and instituted, by virtue of their respective offices, immediately become 
2.13 	members of the corporation within the new diocese, with the rights, duties, privileges, 
2.14 	powers, and obligations of members. The bishop and vicar general of the diocese where 
2.15 	the corporation was located before the subdivision cease to be members of the corporation.
2.16 		Subd. 2.Catholic governance; right of members to vote. Notwithstanding any 
2.17 	law to the contrary, a catholic parish shall be governed by the congregation. Every 
2.18 	member of the parish shall be entitled to vote at meetings.

2.19 	Sec. 2. [315.366] MERGER OR TERMINATION OF CATHOLIC PARISH; 
2.20 	TRANSFER OR SALE OF ASSETS.
2.21 	Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any proposed merger or termination of 
2.22 	a catholic parish, or transfer or sale of parish assets, may only take effect upon approval 
2.23 	of the parish congregation at a special meeting called solely to consider the proposed 
2.24 	action. A special meeting required under this section may be called at the request of ten 
2.25 	members of the parish congregation. The meeting must be scheduled at a time when the 
2.26 	full parish congregation can reasonably be expected to be able to attend. Every member of 
2.27 	the congregation must be notified of the scheduled date and time of the meeting, by mail, 
2.28 	not more than 21 days nor less than 14 days before the meeting occurs. At the meeting, 
2.29 	every member of the congregation is entitled to an equal vote.