SC H4754

Establishes neutral legal principles for determining ownership of real property when a local church disaffiliates from a state, regional, or national religious organization that claims a trust interest in the property

Allows a disaffiliating local church to retain full ownership of its real and personal property if it determines the parent organization failed to uphold its own laws, doctrines, or governing documents, or if disaffiliation is in the church's best interests

Requires the parent religious organization to provide itemized, documented accounting of all financial investments made in the local church's property upon receiving notice of disaffiliation

Obligates disaffiliating churches to reimburse the parent organization only for direct financial investments in property acquisition, maintenance, or improvement—excluding contributions the local church made itself or funds used for general denominational purposes

Permits religious organizations to limit or abolish these disaffiliation rights through their own articles or bylaws