Representative Anthony E. Loubet proposes the following substitute bill:


1     
MARRIAGE MODIFICATIONS

2     
2024 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Anthony E. Loubet

5     
Senate Sponsor: Karen Kwan

6     

7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill addresses marriage.
10     Highlighted Provisions:
11          This bill:
12          ▸     addresses the validation and recognition of a marriage regardless of the race,
13     ethnicity, or national original of the parties to the marriage;
14          ▸     addresses the issuance of a marriage license and the solemnization of a marriage;
15          ▸     repeals a provision on interracial marriage; and
16          ▸     makes technical and conforming changes.
17     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
18          None
19     Other Special Clauses:
20          None
21     Utah Code Sections Affected:
22     ENACTS:
23          30-1-2.4, Utah Code Annotated 1953
24     REPEALS:
25          30-1-2.2, as last amended by Laws of Utah 1995, Chapter 20

26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28          Section 1. Section 30-1-2.4 is enacted to read:
29          30-1-2.4. Recognition and validation of a marriage regardless of the race,
30     ethnicity, or national origin of the parties.
31          (1) As used in this section:
32          (a) "Eligible couple" means two individuals that may legally marry each other in this
33     state.
34          (b) "Specified characteristic" means the race, ethnicity, or national origin of a party to
35     the marriage.
36          (2) Regardless of the date of the marriage, a marriage between two individuals may not
37     be deemed invalid or prohibited because of a specified characteristic.
38          (3) The office of a county clerk may not refuse to issue a marriage license to an eligible
39     couple because of a specified characteristic.
40          (4) (a) The office of a county clerk may not refuse to solemnize the marriage of an
41     eligible couple because of a specified characteristic.
42          (b) Subsection (4)(a) does not prevent a county clerk from delegating or deputizing
43     another individual to solemnize a marriage in accordance with Subsections 17-20-4(2) and
44     30-1-6(2)(l).
45          Section 2. Repealer.
46          This bill repeals:
47          Section 30-1-2.2, Validation of interracial marriages.
48          Section 3. Effective date.
49          This bill takes effect on May 1, 2024.