[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 824 Introduced in House (IH)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 824

 To amend chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, with regard to the 
 definition of ``marriage'' and ``spouse'' for Federal purposes and to 
            ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 10, 2015

    Mr. Weber of Texas (for himself, Mr. Palazzo, Mr. Sessions, Mr. 
Fincher, Mr. Massie, Mr. Bishop of Utah, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, 
Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas, Mr. DesJarlais, Mr. Pompeo, Mr. 
Miller of Florida, Mr. Collins of Georgia, Mr. Pitts, Mr. Boustany, Mr. 
 Olson, Mr. Latta, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Farenthold, Mr. Flores, Mr. Pearce, 
 Mr. Neugebauer, Mr. LaMalfa, and Mr. Jones) introduced the following 
       bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, with regard to the 
 definition of ``marriage'' and ``spouse'' for Federal purposes and to 
            ensure respect for State regulation of marriage.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``State Marriage Defense Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Congress affirms the States' legitimate and proper 
        public policy interests in regulating domestic relations and in 
        defining marriage for the residents of their States.
            (2) Despite striking down section 3 of the Defense of 
        Marriage Act, the Supreme Court ruling in United States v. 
        Windsor did not institute a new Federal definition of marriage 
        that includes same sex marriage. Instead, United States v. 
        Windsor specifically required the Federal Government to defer 
        to ``state sovereign choices about who may be married'' in 
        determining marital status for Federal purposes.
            (3) Congress recognizes that current actions by the Federal 
        Government to afford benefits to certain relationships not 
        recognized as marriages by a person's State of residence go 
        beyond the Supreme Court's ruling in United States v. Windsor. 
        These Federal actions create ``two contradictory marriage 
        regimes within the same State,'' in direct contradiction of 
        United States v. Windsor.
            (4) Actions taken by the Federal Government to grant 
        recognition of marital status for persons not recognized as 
        married in their State of domicile undermine a State's 
        legitimate authority to define marriage for its residents.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES.

    Section 7 of title 1, United States Code, is amended to read as 
follows:
``Sec. 7. Definition of `Marriage' and `Spouse'
    ``In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any 
ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative 
bureaus and agencies of the United States, as applied with respect to 
individuals domiciled in a State or in any other territory or 
possession of the United States the term `marriage' shall not include 
any relationship which that State, territory, or possession does not 
recognize as a marriage, and the term `spouse' shall not include an 
individual who is a party to a relationship that is not recognized as a 
marriage by that State, territory, or possession.''.
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