Text of US SJR 12 (2015)

IIA 114TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. J. RES. 12 Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to marriage. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 23, 2015 Mr. CRUZ introduced the following joint resolution; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to marriage. Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives 1 of the United States of America in Congress assembled 2 (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the fol- 3 lowing article is proposed as an amendment to the Con- 4 stitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all 5 intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when 6 ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several 7 States within seven years after the date of its submission 8 by the Congress: 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:20 Apr 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SJ12.IS SJ12 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS 2 •SJ 12 IS ‘‘ARTICLE — 1 ‘‘SECTION 1. The United States and each State, terri- 2 tory, and possession thereof shall have the power to define 3 marriage as limited to the union of one man and one 4 woman. Nothing in this Constitution shall be construed 5 to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be 6 conferred upon any union other than the union of one man 7 and one woman or to require that a State recognize a mar- 8 riage that was licensed in another State. No decision or 9 order of any court to the contrary, including any decision 10 or order issued before the date of ratification, shall have 11 any force or effect.’’. 12 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:20 Apr 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SJ12.IS SJ12 emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS