By: Seliger S.B. No. 322
(In the Senate - Filed April 25, 2017; April 25, 2017, read
first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs;
April 27, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 8,
Nays 0; April 27, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to authorizing current and former members of the state
legislature to conduct a marriage ceremony.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 2.202, Family Code, is amended by
amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to
read as follows:
(a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a
marriage ceremony:
(1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or
priest;
(2) a Jewish rabbi;
(3) a person who is an officer of a religious
organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a
marriage ceremony;
(4) a justice of the supreme court, judge of the court
of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the
district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at
law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the
juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice
of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal
court, retired judge of a municipal court, associate judge of a
statutory probate court, retired associate judge of a statutory
probate court, associate judge of a county court at law, retired
associate judge of a county court at law, or judge or magistrate of
a federal court of this state; [and]
(5) a retired judge or magistrate of a federal court of
this state; and
(6) a current or former member of the state
legislature.
(a-1) A person authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony
under Subsection (a)(6) may not conduct more than three marriage
ceremonies in a 12-month period. Conducting a marriage ceremony
for a member of the armed services or a former member of the armed
services shall not count toward the amount of ceremonies performed
under this subsection.
(a-2) A person authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony
under Subsection (a)(6) may not receive compensation for performing
a marriage ceremony.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
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