{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/57-2.01.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/57-2.01.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/57-2.01.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/57-2.01.html"}],"law_id":370768,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370768,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2.01","catch_line":"Religious Freedom Week and Day","history":"1986, c. 352; 1997, c. 388.","full_text":"On the 200th Anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom, the 1986 Virginia General Assembly commends their eighteenth century predecessors for their wisdom and foresight and declares that from this date forth, the second full week of every January is designated as Religious Freedom Week in the Commonwealth of Virginia.\n\nIn addition, the date of the passage of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom merits special commemoration and celebration in the Commonwealth and nation. For this purpose, the sixteenth day of January of each year shall be designated “Religious Freedom Day.”\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1383210,"text":"On the 200th Anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom, the 1986 Virginia General Assembly commends their eighteenth century predecessors for their wisdom and foresight and declares that from this date forth, the second full week of every January is designated as Religious Freedom Week in the Commonwealth of Virginia.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1383211,"text":"In addition, the date of the passage of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom merits special commemoration and celebration in the Commonwealth and nation. For this purpose, the sixteenth day of January of each year shall be designated “Religious Freedom Day.”","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":52797,"edition_id":2,"name":"Religious Freedom","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52796,"metadata":{"child_laws":5,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:57","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:46","permalink":{"id":1478505,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52797,"identifier":"1","token":"57\/1","url":"\/57\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52796,"edition_id":2,"name":"Religious and Charitable Matters; Cemeteries","identifier":"57","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":123,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":105,"child_structures":18},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:05:57","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:46","permalink":{"id":1478503,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52796,"identifier":"57","token":"57","url":"\/57\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370755,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-1","catch_line":"Act for religious freedom recited","url":"\/57-1\/","token":"57\/1\/57-1","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"United States v. Moore","case_number":"No. 14-6870","citation":"585 F. App'x 13","date":"2014-10-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/8693028\/united-states-v-moore\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Affirmed by unpublished PER CURIAM opinion. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"1":{"name":"United States v. Bryan Ogle","case_number":"21-4043","citation":"82 F.4th 272","date":"2023-09-13","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9426361\/united-states-v-bryan-ogle\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. USCA4 Appeal: 21-4043 Doc: 44 Filed: 09\/13\/2023 Pg: 1 of 9 .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit"},"2":{"name":"Vlaming v. West Point School Board","case_number":"1211061","citation":null,"date":"2023-12-14","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/9451980\/vlaming-v-west-point-school-board\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. PRESENT: All the Justices .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"3":{"name":"Roberts v. Roberts","case_number":"Record 000071","citation":"536 S.E.2d 714","date":"2000-11-03","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1059547\/roberts-v-roberts\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 536 S.E.2d 714 (2000) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"4":{"name":"Anthony Brian Barnett v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"0487203","citation":null,"date":"2021-04-06","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4871198\/anthony-brian-barnett-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"5":{"name":"Stoltz v. Commonwealth","case_number":"Record No. 181033","citation":"831 S.E.2d 164","date":"2019-08-01","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/7480031\/stoltz-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. Code \u00a7 18.2-374.3(C) (emphasis added). Stoltz argues that the phrase \"reason to believe,\" id. , .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"6":{"name":"Henry v. Commonwealth","case_number":"0246942","citation":"462 S.E.2d 578","date":"1995-10-10","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1068226\/henry-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. MOON, Chief Judge. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"7":{"name":"South v. Commonwealth","case_number":"2209041","citation":"623 S.E.2d 419","date":"2005-12-20","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1063333\/south-v-commonwealth\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. *250KELSEY, Judge. .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"},"8":{"name":"Necaise v. Com.","case_number":"100157","citation":"708 S.E.2d 864","date":"2011-04-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1058042\/necaise-v-com\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 708 S.E.2d 864 (2011) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"SCV<\/abbr>"},"9":{"name":"Brandon Scott Blankenship v. Commonwealth of Virginia","case_number":"1455183","citation":null,"date":"2020-03-10","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/4733875\/brandon-scott-blankenship-v-commonwealth-of-virginia\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. COURT OF APPEALS OF VIRGINIA .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"COA<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":370771,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2","catch_line":"Rights asserted therein reaffirmed","url":"\/57-2\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2","metadata":false},{"id":370768,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2.01","catch_line":"Religious Freedom Week and Day","url":"\/57-2.01\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.01","metadata":false},{"id":370769,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2.02","catch_line":"Religious freedom preserved; definitions; applicability; construction; remedies","url":"\/57-2.02\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.02","metadata":false},{"id":370770,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2.1","catch_line":"Advertising by hotels, etc., that persons find objectionable because of religion; exemptions","url":"\/57-2.1\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":370771,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2","catch_line":"Rights asserted therein reaffirmed","url":"\/57-2\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":370769,"structure_id":52797,"section_number":"57-2.02","catch_line":"Religious freedom preserved; definitions; applicability; construction; remedies","url":"\/57-2.02\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.02","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/57-2.01\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1986. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 352 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1986 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1997, chapter 388<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1478515,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370768,"identifier":"57-2.01","token":"57\/1\/57-2.01","url":"\/57-2.01\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/57-2.01\/","token":"57\/1\/57-2.01","dublin_core":{"Title":"Religious Freedom Week and Day","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 57-2.01","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

On the 200th Anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom, the 1986 Virginia General Assembly commends their eighteenth century predecessors for their wisdom and foresight and declares that from this date forth, the second full week of every January is designated as Religious Freedom Week in the Commonwealth of Virginia.<\/p>

In addition, the date of the passage of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom merits special commemoration and celebration in the Commonwealth and nation. For this purpose, the sixteenth day of January of each year shall be designated “Religious Freedom Day.”<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nRELIGIOUS FREEDOM WEEK AND DAY (\u00a7 57-2.01)\n\nOn the 200th Anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Act for Religious\nFreedom, the 1986 Virginia General Assembly commends their eighteenth century\npredecessors for their wisdom and foresight and declares that from this date\nforth, the second full week of every January is designated as Religious Freedom\nWeek in the Commonwealth of Virginia.\n\nIn addition, the date of the passage of the Virginia Act for Religious Freedom\nmerits special commemoration and celebration in the Commonwealth and nation. For\nthis purpose, the sixteenth day of January of each year shall be designated\n“Religious Freedom Day.”\n\nHISTORY: 1986, c. 352; 1997, c. 388.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}