Virginia 2023 Regular Session Status: Enacted

HB 2071 — Persons other than ministers who may perform rites of marriage; issuance of order, etc.

Last action — Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0789)

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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 10, 2023. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin (Republican) on April 12, 2023.

Prognosis

Advancing 38% · 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.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Failed a recorded vote

    Failed 12 recorded votes so far — a real headwind.

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.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

25 added · 24 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia removes the requirement for a person authorized to perform marriage rites to enter into a bond before acting, which simplifies the process for those individuals. It also clarifies that judges and certain officials can celebrate marriages without needing a bond or authorization order. This change may streamline the marriage officiation process by reducing the associated requirements for authorized persons.

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VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY -- 2023 RECONVENED SESSION CHAPTER 789 An Act to amend and reenact § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia, relating to persons other than ministers who may perform rites of marriage;
RECONVENED SESSION REENROLLED VIRGINIA ACTS OF ASSEMBLY –– CHAPTER R An Act to amend and reenact § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia, relating to persons other than ministers who may perform rites of marriage;
[H 2071] Approved April 12, 2023 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
E N Approved [H 2071] R O Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
That § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
Persons other than ministers who may perform rites.
Persons other than ministers who may perform rites.d as follows:
Upon petition filed with the clerk and payment of applicable clerk's fees, any circuit court judge may issue an order authorizing one or more persons resident in the circuit in which the judge sits to celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth.
L Upon petition filed with the clerk and payment of applicable clerk's fees, any circuit court judge may issue an order authorizing one or more persons resident in the circuit in which the judge sits Eo celebrate the rites of marriage in the Commonwealth.
Any person so authorized shall, before acting, enter into bond in the penalty of $500, with or without surety, as the court may direct;
Any person so authorized shall, before acting, enter into that the person would otherwise be qualified for in forma pauperis status, the court may waive suchng bond.
however, upon a showing bond.
No oath shall be required of a person authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage, nor shall such person be considered an officer of the Commonwealth by virtue of such authorization.
No oath shall be required of a person authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage, nor shall such person be considered an officer of the ComAny judge or justice of a court of record, any judge of a district court, any retired judge or justice of the Commonwealth, any active, senior, or retired federal judge or justice who is a resident of the Commonwealth, and or any current (i) member of the General Assembly, (ii) Governor of Virginia, (iii) Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and or (iv) Attorney General of Virginia may celebrate the ritHs of 2.
Any judge or justice of a court of record, any judge of a district court, any retired judge or justice of the Commonwealth, any active, senior, or retired federal judge or justice who is a resident of the Commonwealth, and or any current (i) member of the General Assembly, (ii) Governor of Virginia, (iii) Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, and or (iv) Attorney General of Virginia may celebrate the rites of marriage anywhere in the Commonwealth without the necessity of bond or order of authorization.
That the State Registrar shall amend the form furnished for a marriage license to include as the celebrant on such marriage license any person authorized by § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia, as1 amended by this act, to perform rites of marriage.
2.
R 2
That the State Registrar shall amend the form furnished for a marriage license to include as the celebrant on such marriage license any person authorized by § 20-25 of the Code of Virginia, as amended by this act, to perform rites of marriage.
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Action History

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0789)

  2. Enacted, Chapter 789 (effective 7/1/23)

  3. Signed by President as reenrolled

  4. Signed by Speaker as reenrolled

  5. Reenrolled bill text (HB2071ER2)

  6. Reenrolled

  7. Governor's recommendation adopted

  8. Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (39-Y 1-N)

  9. Passed by temporarily

  10. VOTE: Adoption (58-Y 37-N)

  11. House concurred in Governor's recommendation (58-Y 37-N)

  12. Placed on Calendar

  13. Governor's recommendation received by House

  14. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 27, 2023

  15. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 13, 2023

  16. Signed by President

  17. Signed by Speaker

  18. Impact statement from DPB (HB2071ER)

  19. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2071ER)

  20. Enrolled

  21. VOTE: Adoption (59-Y 36-N)

  22. Conference report agreed to by House (59-Y 36-N)

  23. Conference report agreed to by Senate (36-Y 4-N)

  24. Amended by conference committee

  25. Delegates: Lopez, Campbell, J.L., Ballard

  26. Conferees appointed by House

  27. Senators: Petersen, McClellan, Obenshain

  28. Conferees appointed by Senate

  29. House acceded to request

  30. Placed on Calendar

  31. Senate requested conference committee

  32. Senate insisted on substitute with amendment (30-Y 9-N)

  33. VOTE: REJECTED (0-Y 98-N)

  34. Senate substitute with amendment rejected by House 23106508D-S1 (0-Y 98-N)

  35. Impact statement from DPB (HB2071S1)

  36. Passed Senate with substitute with amendment (35-Y 5-N)

  37. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute with amendment HB2071S1

  38. Amendment by Senator McClellan agreed to

  39. Reading of amendment waived

  40. Committee substitute agreed to 23106508D-S1

  41. Reading of substitute waived

  42. Read third time

  43. Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)

  44. Committee substitute printed 23106508D-S1

  45. Reported from Judiciary with substitute (12-Y 0-N 2-A)

  46. Senate committee, floor amendments and substitutes offered

  47. Impact statement from DPB (HB2071)

  48. Referred to Committee on the Judiciary

  49. Constitutional reading dispensed

  50. VOTE: Passage (52-Y 45-N)

  51. Read third time and passed House (52-Y 45-N)

  52. Read second time and engrossed

  53. Read first time

  54. Reported from Courts of Justice (17-Y 3-N)

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

  56. Assigned Courts sub: Subcommittee #2

  57. Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

  58. Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/11/23 23103344D

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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

Subjects

civil-rights elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 2071?
HB 2071 is sponsored by Alfonso H. Lopez.
What is the current status of HB 2071?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 10, 2023. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 2071?
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