Text of RI SB 2310 (2006)

2006 -- S 2310 ======= LC00266 ======= STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2006 ____________ A N A C T RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO MARRY Introduced By: Senators Blais, Breene, and Damiani Date Introduced: February 02, 2006 Referred To: Senate Judiciary It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: 1-1 SECTION 1. Sections 15-1-1 and 15-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-1 entitled 1-2 "Persons Eligible to Marry" are hereby amended to read as follows: 1-3 15-1-1. Men forbidden to marry kindred. Men forbidden to marry kindred or 1-4 another man. -- No man shall marry his mother, grandmother, daughter, son's daughter, 1-5 daughter's daughter, stepmother, grandfather's wife, son's wife, son's son's wife, daughter's son's 1-6 wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's son's daughter, wife's daughter's 1-7 daughter, sister, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister, or mother's sister. or another 1-8 man. 1-9 15-1-2. Women forbidden to marry kindred. Women forbidden to marry kindred 1-10 or another woman. -- No woman shall marry her father, grandfather, son, son's son, daughter's 1-11 son, stepfather, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, son's daughter's husband, daughter's 1-12 daughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's son's son, 1-13 husband's daughter's son, brother, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother, or mother's brother. 1-14 or another woman. 1-15 SECTION 2. Chapter 15-1 of the General Laws entitled "Persons Eligible to Marry" is 1-16 hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 1-17 15-1-7. Same sex marriages prohibited. – (a) In determining the meaning of any 1-18 general law or of any ruling, regulation or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and 1-19 agencies of the state of Rhode Island, the word “marriage” means only the legal union between 2-1 one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of 2-2 the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. 2-3 (b) Neither the state of Rhode Island nor any bureau or agency thereof shall recognize a 2-4 relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage regardless as to whether such 2-5 relationship is recognized as a marriage under the laws of any state, United States territory, 2-6 possession or Indian tribe. 2-7 (c) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or 2-8 circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of 2-9 this section, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end 2-10 the provisions of this section are declared to be severable. 2-11 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. ======= LC00266 ======== EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF A N A C T RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO MARRY *** 3-1 This act would prohibit same sex marriages in the state and would prohibit the state from 3-2 recognizing a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage. 3-3 This act would take effect upon passage. ======= LC00266 ======= S2310