By Goolsby                                              H.B. No. 36

      75R1456 MCK-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to persons who are authorized to conduct a marriage

 1-3     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 state legislature.

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, 1997.

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.