Virginia Code 66-25: Collection of information concerning religious preferences by correctional facilities
A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any correctional facility established pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 may collect and disseminate information concerning the religious preferences and affiliations of persons committed to its custody. No person shall be required to indicate his religious preference or affiliation, and no dissemination of the information shall be made except to categories of persons designated by the person who has given his consent to such dissemination.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 66-25
- Person: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
B. No consent given pursuant to this section shall be construed to allow any correctional facility established pursuant to this chapter or Chapter 11 of Title 16.1 to disseminate to federal government authorities information concerning the religious preferences and affiliations of persons committed to its custody for the purpose of compiling a list, registry, or database of individuals based on religious affiliation, national origin, or ethnicity, unless such dissemination is specifically required by state or federal law.
Code 1950, § 53-19.15:1; 1977, c. 506; 1982, c. 636, § 53.1-250; 1989, c. 733; 2019, c. 774.