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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to persons authorized to perform a marriage ceremony. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 2.202(a) and (b), Family Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a |
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marriage ceremony: |
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(1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or |
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priest; |
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(2) a Jewish rabbi; |
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(3) a person who is an officer of a religious |
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organization and who is authorized by the organization to conduct a |
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marriage ceremony; and |
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(4) a justice of the supreme court, judge of the court |
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of criminal appeals, justice of the courts of appeals, judge of the |
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district, county, and probate courts, judge of the county courts at |
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law, judge of the courts of domestic relations, judge of the |
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juvenile courts, retired justice or judge of those courts, justice |
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of the peace, retired justice of the peace, judge of a municipal |
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court, [or] judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state, or |
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retired judge or magistrate of a federal court of this state. |
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(b) For the purposes of this section, a retired judge, [or] |
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justice, or magistrate is: |
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(1) a former judge or justice who is vested in the |
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Judicial Retirement System of Texas Plan One or the Judicial |
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Retirement System of Texas Plan Two; |
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(2) a former judge or magistrate of a federal court in |
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this state who is fully vested in the Federal Employees Retirement |
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System under 28 U.S.C. Section 371 or 377; or |
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(3) a former judge, justice, or magistrate who has an |
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aggregate of at least 12 years of service as judge, [or] justice, or |
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magistrate of any type listed in Subsection (a)(4). |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a marriage ceremony that is conducted on or after the effective |
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date of this Act. A marriage ceremony conducted before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the ceremony was conducted, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |