By: Bell H.B. No. 623
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the funding, issuing, and litigation of certain
  marriage licenses.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  This Act may be cited as the Preservation of
  Sovereignty and Marriage Act.
         SECTION 2.  Section 2.001, Family Code, is amended to read as
  follows:
         (c)  State or local taxpayer funds or governmental salaries
  may not be used for an activity that includes the licensing or
  support of same-sex marriage.
         (d)  A state or local governmental employee officially may
  not recognize, grant, or enforce a same-sex marriage license.  If an
  employee violates this subsection, the employee may not continue to
  receive a salary, pension, or other employee benefit at the expense
  of the taxpayers of this State.
         (e)  Taxes or public funds may not be utilized to enforce a
  court order requiring the issuance or recognition of a same-sex
  marriage license.
         (f)  A court of this State shall dismiss a legal action
  challenging a provision of this section and shall award costs and
  attorney's fees to a person or entity named as a defendant in the
  legal action.
         (g)  A person employed by this State or a local governmental
  entity who violates or interferes with the implementation of this
  section may not continue to receive a salary, pension, or other
  employee benefit.
         (h)  The State is not subject to suit in law or equity
  pursuant to the eleventh amendment of the United States
  Constitution for complying with the provisions of this section,
  regardless of a contrary federal court ruling.
         SECTION 3.  If any section, subsection, paragraph,
  subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Act is for
  any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such holding
  shall not affect the constitutionality or validity of the remaining
  portions of this Act, the legislature hereby declaring that it
  would have passed this, and each and every section, subsection,
  paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, and word
  thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more other
  sections, subsections, paragraphs, subparagraphs, sentences,
  clauses, phrases, or words hereof may be declared to be
  unconstitutional, invalid, or otherwise ineffective.  All
  constitutionally valid applications of this Act shall be severed
  from any applications that a court finds to be invalid, leaving the
  valid applications in force, because it is the legislature's intent
  and priority that the valid applications be allowed to stand alone.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2015.