By Goolsby                                             H.B. No. 348
       74R679 JMM-D
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to certain persons who are authorized to conduct a
    1-3  marriage ceremony.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Section 1.83(a), Family Code, is amended to read
    1-6  as follows:
    1-7        (a)  The following persons are authorized to conduct marriage
    1-8  ceremonies:
    1-9              (1)  licensed or ordained Christian ministers and
   1-10  priests;
   1-11              (2)  Jewish rabbis;
   1-12              (3)  persons who are officers of religious
   1-13  organizations and who are duly authorized by the organization to
   1-14  conduct marriage ceremonies; <and>
   1-15              (4)  justices of the supreme court, judges of the court
   1-16  of criminal appeals, justices of the courts of appeals, judges of
   1-17  the district, county, and probate courts, judges of the county
   1-18  courts at law, courts of domestic relations and juvenile courts,
   1-19  retired justices and judges of such courts, justices of the peace,
   1-20  retired justices of the peace, and judges and magistrates of the
   1-21  federal courts of this state; and
   1-22              (5)  members of the Texas House of Representatives.
   1-23        SECTION 2.  Chapter 301, Government Code, is amended by
   1-24  adding Subchapter F to read as follows:
    2-1       SUBCHAPTER F.  MARRIAGE CEREMONY CONDUCTED BY LEGISLATOR
    2-2        Sec. 301.081.  USE OF STATE EMPLOYEES OR CERTAIN STATE
    2-3  PROPERTY.  A person authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony under
    2-4  Section 1.83(a)(5),  Family Code, may not use in the course of any
    2-5  duties associated with conducting a ceremony:
    2-6              (1)  the services of a state employee during the
    2-7  employee's normal working hours; or
    2-8              (2)  postage or stationery purchased with state funds.
    2-9        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-10        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-11  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-12  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-13  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-14  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.