By: Bhojani H.B. No. 1884
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to persons authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Sections 2.202(a), (b), and (b-1), Family Code,
are amended 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 a religious [the]
organization to conduct a marriage ceremony;
(2) [(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
(3) [(5)] a retired judge or magistrate of a federal
court of this state.
(b) For the purposes of Subsection (a)(2) [(a)(4)], a
retired judge or justice is a former judge or justice who is vested
in the Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial
Retirement System of Texas Plan Two or who has an aggregate of at
least 12 years of service as judge or justice of any type listed in
Subsection (a)(2) [(a)(4)].
(b-1) For the purposes of Subsection (a)(3) [(a)(5)], a
retired judge or magistrate is a former judge or magistrate of a
federal court of this state who is fully vested in the Federal
Employees Retirement System under 28 U.S.C. Section 371 or 377.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.