Text of MD HB 474 (2012)

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *hb0474* HOUSE BILL 474 D4 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT 2lr1584 HB 963/11 – JUD By: Delegates Dwyer, Afzali, Aumann, Bates, Beitzel, Boteler, Burns, Cluster, DeBoy, Eckardt, Elliott, Fisher, Frank, George, Glass, Haddaway–Riccio, Hershey, Hough, Impallaria, Jacobs, Jameson, Kach, K. Kelly, Krebs, McComas, McConkey, McDermott, McDonough, W. Miller, Minnick, Myers, Norman, O’Donnell, Otto, Parrott, Ready, Schuh, Schulz, Serafini, Sophocleus, Stifler, Stukes, Szeliga, Vitale, Weir, and Wood Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2012 Assigned to: Judiciary and Health and Government Operations A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 Maryland Marriage Protection Act 2 FOR the purpose of adding a new section to the Maryland Constitution to establish 3 that marriage between one man and one woman shall be the only domestic legal 4 union valid or recognized in this State; and submitting this amendment to the 5 qualified voters of the State for their adoption or rejection. 6 BY proposing an addition to the Maryland Constitution 7 Article XV – Miscellaneous 8 Section 8 9 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF 10 MARYLAND, (Three–fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses 11 concurring), That it be proposed that the Maryland Constitution read as follows: 12 Article XV – Miscellaneous 13 8. 14 MARRIAGE BETWEEN ONE MAN AND ONE WOMAN SHALL BE THE ONLY 15 DOMESTIC LEGAL UNION VALID OR RECOGNIZED IN THIS STATE. 16 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the General Assembly 17 determines that the amendment to the Maryland Constitution proposed by this Act 18 2 HOUSE BILL 474 affects multiple jurisdictions and that the provisions of Article XIV, § 1 of the 1 Maryland Constitution concerning local approval of constitutional amendments do not 2 apply. 3 SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the aforegoing section 4 proposed as an amendment to the Maryland Constitution shall be submitted to the 5 qualified voters of the State at the next general election to be held in November, 2012 6 for their adoption or rejection pursuant to Article XIV of the Maryland Constitution. 7 At that general election, the vote on this proposed amendment to the Constitution 8 shall be by ballot, and upon each ballot there shall be printed the words “For the 9 Constitutional Amendment” and “Against the Constitutional Amendment,” as now 10 provided by law. Immediately after the election, all returns shall be made to the 11 Governor of the vote for and against the proposed amendment, as directed by Article 12 XIV of the Maryland Constitution, and further proceedings had in accordance with 13 Article XIV. 14