§ 10-B — Religious exception

§ 10-b. Religious exception. 1. Notwithstanding any state, local or\nmunicipal law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or other provision of law to\nthe contrary, a religious entity as defined under the education law or\nsection two of the religious corporations law, or a corporation\nincorporated under the benevolent orders law or described in the\nbenevolent orders law but formed under any other law of this state, or a\nnot-for-profit corporation operated, supervised, or controlled by a\nreligious corporation, or any employee thereof, being managed, directed,\nor supervised by or in conjunction with a religious corporation,\nbenevolent order, or a not-for-profit corporation as described in this\nsubdivision, shall not be required to provide services, accommodations,\nadvantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for the solemnization or\ncelebration of a marriage. Any such refusal to provide services,\naccommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges shall not\ncreate any civil claim or cause of action or result in any state or\nlocal government action to penalize, withhold benefits, or discriminate\nagainst such religious corporation, benevolent order, a not-for-profit\ncorporation operated, supervised, or controlled by a religious\ncorporation, or any employee thereof being managed, directed, or\nsupervised by or in conjunction with a religious corporation, benevolent\norder, or a not-for-profit corporation.\n 2. Notwithstanding any state, local or municipal law or rule,\nregulation, ordinance, or other provision of law to the contrary,\nnothing in this article shall limit or diminish the right, pursuant to\nsubdivision eleven of section two hundred ninety-six of the executive\nlaw, of any religious or denominational institution or organization, or\nany organization operated for charitable or educational purposes, which\nis operated, supervised or controlled by or in connection with a\nreligious organization, to limit employment or sales or rental of\nhousing accommodations or admission to or give preference to persons of\nthe same religion or denomination or from taking such action as is\ncalculated by such organization to promote the religious principles for\nwhich it is established or maintained.\n 3. Nothing in this section shall be deemed or construed to limit the\nprotections and exemptions otherwise provided to religious organizations\nunder section three of article one of the constitution of the state of\nNew York.\n