| 1 | 1 | | 87R10635 MLH-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Pacheco H.B. No. 2479 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to persons who are authorized to conduct a marriage |
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| 8 | 8 | | ceremony. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Section 2.202(a), Family Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a |
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| 13 | 13 | | marriage ceremony: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or |
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| 15 | 15 | | priest; |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) a Jewish rabbi; |
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| 17 | 17 | | (3) a person who is an officer of a religious |
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| 18 | 18 | | organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a |
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| 19 | 19 | | marriage ceremony; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (4) a justice of the supreme court, judge of the court |
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| 21 | 21 | | of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the |
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| 22 | 22 | | district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at |
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| 23 | 23 | | law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the |
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| 24 | 24 | | juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice |
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| 25 | 25 | | of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal |
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| 26 | 26 | | court, retired judge of a municipal court, associate judge of a |
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| 27 | 27 | | statutory probate court, retired associate judge of a statutory |
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| 28 | 28 | | probate court, associate judge of a county court at law, retired |
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| 29 | 29 | | associate judge of a county court at law, or judge or magistrate of |
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| 30 | 30 | | a federal court of this state; [and] |
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| 31 | 31 | | (5) a retired judge or magistrate of a federal court of |
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| 32 | 32 | | this state; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (6) a current member of the state legislature; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (7) the current governor or lieutenant governor of the |
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| 35 | 35 | | state. |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 572, Government Code, is |
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| 37 | 37 | | amended by adding Section 572.062 to read as follows: |
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| 38 | 38 | | Sec. 572.062. USE OF STATE EMPLOYEES OR CERTAIN STATE |
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| 39 | 39 | | PROPERTY; PROHIBITION OF REMUNERATION. (a) A person authorized to |
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| 40 | 40 | | conduct a marriage ceremony under Section 2.202(a)(6) or (7), |
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| 41 | 41 | | Family Code, may not use in the course of any duties associated with |
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| 42 | 42 | | conducting a ceremony: |
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| 43 | 43 | | (1) the services of a state employee during the |
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| 44 | 44 | | employee's normal working hours; or |
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| 45 | 45 | | (2) postage or stationery purchased with state funds. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (b) A person authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony under |
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| 47 | 47 | | Section 2.202(a)(6) or (7), Family Code, may not receive: |
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| 48 | 48 | | (1) remuneration for performance of the ceremony; or |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) any gift with a value greater than $50 for |
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| 50 | 50 | | performance of the ceremony. |
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| 51 | 51 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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