Virginia 2020 Regular Session Status: Enacted

HB 623 — Gender-neutral terms; prohibitions on same-sex marriage and civil unions removed from Code.

Last action — Approved by Governor-Chapter 900 (effective 7/1/20)

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House of Delegates
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 06, 2020. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 2 sponsors

    1 primary, 1 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 8 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Gender-neutral terms; prohibitions on same-sex marriage and civil unions removed from Code; certain gender-specific crimes; penalty. Replaces the terms "husband" and "wife," as well as related terms, with gender-neutral terms throughout the Code to comport with the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). The bill also repeals the statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unions or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage, and it makes conforming changes to various laws involving married individuals and their rights stemming from marriage. Further, the bill makes applicable to all persons, regardless of the gender of the victim, the crimes of (i) assisting or aiding in the abduction of or threatening to abduct a female under 16 years of age for the purpose of concubinage or prostitution; (ii) placing or leaving one's wife in a bawdy place; and (iii) defaming the chaste character of a female. The bill provides that a defendant placed on probation may be ordered to provide support for the defendant's spouse; currently, the law only provides for support of a defendant's wife. The bill also amends various criminal and criminal procedure laws to make them applicable to both same-sex and opposite-sex married couples.

Bill Text

  • Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0900) View text Current html April 09, 2020
  • Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB623ER) View text html March 12, 2020
  • Impact statement from VCSC (HB623S1) View text html February 19, 2020
  • Impact statement from VCSC (HB623) View text html January 06, 2020

Action History

  1. Approved by Governor-Chapter 900 (effective 7/1/20)

  2. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 11, 2020

  3. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 17, 2020

  4. Impact statement from DPB (HB623ER)

  5. Signed by President

  6. Signed by Speaker

  7. Enrolled

  8. VOTE: Adoption (53-Y 43-N)

  9. Senate substitute agreed to by House 20108628D-S1 (53-Y 43-N)

  10. Placed on Calendar

  11. Passed Senate with substitute (24-Y 16-N)

  12. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute HB623S1

  13. Passed by temporarily

  14. Read third time

  15. Passed by for the day

  16. Passed by for the day

  17. Committee substitute agreed to 20108628D-S1

  18. Reading of substitute waived

  19. Read third time

  20. Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N)

  21. Reported from Finance and Appropriations (11-Y 3-N)

  22. Impact statement from DPB (HB623S1)

  23. Impact statement from VCSC (HB623S1)

  24. Rereferred to Finance and Appropriations

  25. Committee substitute printed 20108628D-S1

  26. Reported from Judiciary with substitute (8-Y 5-N)

  27. Referred to Committee on the Judiciary

  28. Constitutional reading dispensed

  29. VOTE: Passage (57-Y 41-N)

  30. Read third time and passed House (57-Y 41-N)

  31. Read second time and engrossed

  32. Read first time

  33. Reported from Courts of Justice (9-Y 8-N)

  34. Subcommittee recommends reporting (6-Y 1-N)

  35. Impact statement from DPB (HB623)

  36. Assigned Courts sub: Criminal

  37. Impact statement from VCSC (HB623)

  38. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  39. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/08/20 20100908D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 1 co-sponsors · 146 not signed on · 56 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (1)

Not signed on (146)

146 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 146 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Passed 52 Yea · 43 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 524304
Total 524304
% of votes cast 53%43%0%4%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Brewer, Emily M. — Nay
Collins, Christopher E. — Nay
Lindsey, Joseph C. — Yea
Adams, Dawn M. — Yea
Adams, Les R. — Nay
Aird, Lashrecse D. — Yea
Alfonso H. Lopez — Yea
Askew, Alex Q. — Yea
Avoli, G. "John" — Nay
Ayala, Hala S. — Yea
Batten, Amanda E. — Nay
Bell, Robert B. — Nay
Betsy B. Carr — Yea
Bourne, Jeffrey M. — Yea
Bulova, David L. — Yea
Byron, Kathy J. — Nay
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. — Yea
Campbell, Jeffrey L. — Nay
Campbell, Ronnie R. — Nay
Carroll Foy, Jennifer D. — Yea
Carter, Lee J. — Yea
Charniele L. Herring — Yea
Chris S. Runion — Nay
Christopher T. Head — Nay
Cole, Mark L. — Nay
Convirs-Fowler, Kelly K. — Not Voting
Cox, M. Kirkland — Nay
Coyner, Carrie E. — Yea
Dan I. Helmer — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David A. Reid — Yea
Davis, Glenn R. — Nay
Delores L. McQuinn — Yea
Don Scott — Yea
Edmunds, James E., II — Nay
Fariss, C. Matthew — Nay
Fowler, Hyland F."Buddy," Jr. — Nay
Freitas, Nicholas J. — Nay
Gilbert, C. Todd — Nay
Gooditis, Wendy W. — Yea
Guy, Nancy D. — Yea
Guzman, Elizabeth R. — Not Voting
Heretick, Steve E. — Yea
Hudson, Sally L. — Yea
Hurst, Chris L. — Yea
Israel D. O'Quinn — Nay
James A. "Jay" Leftwich — Nay
James W. Morefield — Nay
Jeion A. Ward — Yea
Jenkins, Clinton L. — Not Voting
Jones, Jerrauld C. "Jay" — Yea
Joseph P. McNamara — Nay
Joshua G. Cole — Yea
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Kathy K.L. Tran — Yea
Keam, Mark L. — Yea
Knight, Barry D. — Nay
Kory, Kaye — Yea
LaRock, Dave A. — Nay
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Levine, Mark H. — Yea
Luke E. Torian — Yea
M. Keith Hodges — Nay
Marcia S. "Cia" Price — Yea
Marcus B. Simon — Yea
Marshall, Daniel W., III — Nay
McGuire, John J., III — Nay
Michael J. Webert — Nay
Miyares, Jason S. — Nay
Mugler, Martha M. — Yea
Mullin, Michael P. — Not Voting
Murphy, Kathleen — Yea
Orrock, Robert D., Sr. — Nay
Patrick A. Hope — Yea
Paul E. Krizek — Yea
Plum, Kenneth R. — Yea
Poindexter, Charles D. — Nay
R. Lee Ware — Nay
Ransone, Margaret B. — Nay
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — Yea
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. — Yea
Robinson, Roxann L. — Nay
Rodney T. Willett — Yea
Rush, Nick — Nay
Sam Rasoul — Yea
Samirah, Ibraheem S. — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Wyatt — Nay
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea
Sickles, Mark D. — Yea
Subramanyam, Suhas — Yea
Terry G. Kilgore — Nay
Terry L. Austin — Nay
Thomas C. Wright, Jr. — Nay
Tony O. Wilt — Nay
Tyler, Roslyn C. — Yea
Vivian E. Watts — Yea
Wampler, William C., III — Nay
Wendell S. Walker — Nay

Official roll call →

Passed 24 Yea · 16 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 241600
Total 241600
% of votes cast 60%40%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Spruill, Lionell, Sr. — Nay
Chafin, A. Benton "Ben" — Nay
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Barker, George L. — Yea
Bell, John J. — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Nay
Bryce E. Reeves — Nay
Chase, Amanda F. — Nay
Cosgrove, John A., Jr. — Nay
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Dunnavant, Siobhan S. — Yea
Ebbin, Adam P. — Yea
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Hanger, Emmett W., Jr. — Nay
Hashmi, Ghazala F. — Yea
Howell, Janet D. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kiggans, Jennifer A. — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lewis, Lynwood W., Jr. — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Nay
Mark J. Peake — Nay
Mason, T. Montgomery "Monty" — Yea
Newman, Stephen D. — Nay
Norment, Thomas K., Jr. — Nay
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Nay
Ruff, Frank M., Jr. — Nay
Ryan T. McDougle — Nay
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Nay
Vogel, Jill Holtzman — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Nay

Official roll call →

Passed 40 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 40000
Total 40000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (40)
Member Party Vote
Chafin, A. Benton "Ben" — Yea
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Spruill, Lionell, Sr. — Yea
Barbara A. Favola — Yea
Barker, George L. — Yea
Bell, John J. — Yea
Bill DeSteph — Yea
Bryce E. Reeves — Yea
Chase, Amanda F. — Yea
Cosgrove, John A., Jr. — Yea
David R. Suetterlein — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Dunnavant, Siobhan S. — Yea
Ebbin, Adam P. — Yea
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Hanger, Emmett W., Jr. — Yea
Hashmi, Ghazala F. — Yea
Howell, Janet D. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
Jeremy S. McPike — Yea
Kiggans, Jennifer A. — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Lewis, Lynwood W., Jr. — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Yea
Mark J. Peake — Yea
Mason, T. Montgomery "Monty" — Yea
Newman, Stephen D. — Yea
Norment, Thomas K., Jr. — Yea
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Yea
Ruff, Frank M., Jr. — Yea
Ryan T. McDougle — Yea
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
Todd E. Pillion — Yea
Vogel, Jill Holtzman — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 11 Yea · 3 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 11300
Total 11300
% of votes cast 79%21%0%0%
How each member voted (14)
Member Party Vote
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Barker, George L. — Yea
David W. Marsden — Yea
Ebbin, Adam P. — Yea
Hanger, Emmett W., Jr. — Nay
Howell, Janet D. — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Mamie E. Locke — Yea
Norment, Thomas K., Jr. — Nay
Petersen, J. Chapman — Yea
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Ruff, Frank M., Jr. — Nay
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Vogel, Jill Holtzman — Yea

Official roll call →

Passed 8 Yea · 5 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 8500
Total 8500
% of votes cast 62%38%0%0%
How each member voted (13)
Member Party Vote
McClellan, Jennifer L. — Yea
Chafin, A. Benton "Ben" — Nay
Morrissey, Joseph D. — Yea
Edwards, John S. — Yea
Jennifer B. Boysko — Yea
L. Louise Lucas — Yea
Mark D. Obenshain — Nay
R. Creigh Deeds — Yea
Richard H. Stuart — Nay
Ryan T. McDougle — Nay
Saslaw, Richard L. — Yea
Scott A. Surovell — Yea
William M. Stanley, Jr. — Nay

Official roll call →

VOTE: Passage (57-Y 41-N)

Passed 56 Yea · 41 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 564102
Total 564102
% of votes cast 57%41%0%2%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Brewer, Emily M. — Not Voting
Collins, Christopher E. — Nay
Lindsey, Joseph C. — Yea
Adams, Dawn M. — Yea
Adams, Les R. — Nay
Aird, Lashrecse D. — Yea
Alfonso H. Lopez — Yea
Askew, Alex Q. — Yea
Avoli, G. "John" — Yea
Ayala, Hala S. — Yea
Batten, Amanda E. — Nay
Bell, Robert B. — Nay
Betsy B. Carr — Yea
Bourne, Jeffrey M. — Yea
Bulova, David L. — Yea
Byron, Kathy J. — Nay
C.E. Cliff Hayes, Jr. — Yea
Campbell, Jeffrey L. — Nay
Campbell, Ronnie R. — Nay
Carroll Foy, Jennifer D. — Yea
Carter, Lee J. — Yea
Charniele L. Herring — Yea
Chris S. Runion — Nay
Christopher T. Head — Nay
Cole, Mark L. — Nay
Convirs-Fowler, Kelly K. — Yea
Cox, M. Kirkland — Nay
Coyner, Carrie E. — Yea
Dan I. Helmer — Yea
Danica A. Roem — Yea
David A. Reid — Yea
Davis, Glenn R. — Nay
Delores L. McQuinn — Yea
Don Scott — Yea
Edmunds, James E., II — Nay
Fariss, C. Matthew — Nay
Fowler, Hyland F."Buddy," Jr. — Nay
Freitas, Nicholas J. — Nay
Gilbert, C. Todd — Nay
Gooditis, Wendy W. — Yea
Guy, Nancy D. — Yea
Guzman, Elizabeth R. — Yea
Heretick, Steve E. — Yea
Hudson, Sally L. — Yea
Hurst, Chris L. — Yea
Israel D. O'Quinn — Nay
James A. "Jay" Leftwich — Nay
James W. Morefield — Nay
Jeion A. Ward — Yea
Jenkins, Clinton L. — Yea
Jones, Jerrauld C. "Jay" — Yea
Joseph P. McNamara — Nay
Joshua G. Cole — Yea
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Kathy K.L. Tran — Yea
Keam, Mark L. — Yea
Knight, Barry D. — Nay
Kory, Kaye — Yea
LaRock, Dave A. — Nay
Lamont Bagby — Yea
Levine, Mark H. — Yea
Luke E. Torian — Yea
M. Keith Hodges — Nay
Marcia S. "Cia" Price — Yea
Marcus B. Simon — Yea
Marshall, Daniel W., III — Nay
McGuire, John J., III — Nay
Michael J. Webert — Not Voting
Miyares, Jason S. — Nay
Mugler, Martha M. — Yea
Mullin, Michael P. — Yea
Murphy, Kathleen — Yea
Orrock, Robert D., Sr. — Nay
Patrick A. Hope — Yea
Paul E. Krizek — Yea
Plum, Kenneth R. — Yea
Poindexter, Charles D. — Nay
R. Lee Ware — Nay
Ransone, Margaret B. — Nay
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — Yea
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. — Nay
Robinson, Roxann L. — Nay
Rodney T. Willett — Yea
Rush, Nick — Nay
Sam Rasoul — Yea
Samirah, Ibraheem S. — Yea
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg — Yea
Scott A. Wyatt — Nay
Shelly A. Simonds — Yea
Sickles, Mark D. — Yea
Subramanyam, Suhas — Yea
Terry G. Kilgore — Nay
Terry L. Austin — Nay
Thomas C. Wright, Jr. — Nay
Tony O. Wilt — Nay
Tyler, Roslyn C. — Yea
Vivian E. Watts — Yea
Wampler, William C., III — Nay
Wendell S. Walker — Nay

Official roll call →

Passed 9 Yea · 8 Nay · 5 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 9805
Total 9805
% of votes cast 41%36%0%23%
How each member voted (22)
Member Party Vote
Lindsey, Joseph C. — Not Voting
Collins, Christopher E. — Nay
Adams, Les R. — Nay
Bell, Robert B. — Nay
Bourne, Jeffrey M. — Yea
Campbell, Jeffrey L. — Not Voting
Campbell, Ronnie R. — Nay
Carroll Foy, Jennifer D. — Not Voting
Charniele L. Herring — Yea
Don Scott — Yea
Heretick, Steve E. — Not Voting
James A. "Jay" Leftwich — Nay
Karrie K. Delaney — Yea
Levine, Mark H. — Yea
Marcus B. Simon — Yea
Miyares, Jason S. — Nay
Mullin, Michael P. — Yea
Patrick A. Hope — Yea
Ransone, Margaret B. — Nay
Richard C. "Rip" Sullivan, Jr. — Not Voting
Terry G. Kilgore — Nay
Vivian E. Watts — Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

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Frequently asked questions

What does HB 623 do?
Gender-neutral terms; prohibitions on same-sex marriage and civil unions removed from Code; certain gender-specific crimes; penalty. Replaces the terms "husband" and "wife," as well as related terms, with gender-neutral terms throughout the Code to comport with the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). The bill also repeals the statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unions or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage, and it makes conforming changes to various laws involving married individuals and their rights stemming from marriage. Further, the bill makes applicable to all persons, regardless of the gender of the victim, the crimes of (i) assisting or aiding in the abduction of or threatening to abduct a female under 16 years of age for the purpose of concubinage or prostitution; (ii) placing or leaving one's wife in a bawdy place; and (iii) defaming the chaste character of a female. The bill provides that a defendant placed on probation may be ordered to provide support for the defendant's spouse; currently, the law only provides for support of a defendant's wife. The bill also amends various criminal and criminal procedure laws to make them applicable to both same-sex and opposite-sex married couples.
Who sponsors HB 623?
HB 623 is sponsored by Marcus B. Simon and Levine, Mark H..
What is the current status of HB 623?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 06, 2020. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 623?
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