Union Calendar No. 339

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3396

[Report No. 104–664]

A BILL

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

JULY 9, 1996

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the

State of the Union and ordered to be printed
IB

Union Calendar No. 339

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 3396

[Report No. 104–664]

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MAY 7, 1996

Mr. BARR of Georgia (for himself, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, Mrs.

MYRICK, Mr. VOLKMER, Mr. SKELTON, Mr. BRYANT of Tennessee, and

Mr. EMERSON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on the Judiciary

JULY 9, 1996

Additional sponsors: Mr. ISTOOK, Mr. DORNAN, Mr. STOCKMAN, Mr. DEAL

of Georgia, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. PETRI, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia,

Mr. NEY, Mr. COOLEY of Oregon, Mr. HILLEARY, Mr. FUNDERBURK,

Mr. NORWOOD, Mr. COBURN, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BARTON

of Texas, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. HANCOCK, Mr. WELDON of

Florida, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr.

SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. BARRETT of Nebraska, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. TAYLOR of North Carolina, Mr. ROHRABACHER, Mr. ENGLISH

of Pennsylvania, Mrs. SMITH OF Washington, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr.

STEARNS, Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. CRANE, Mr.

SMITH of Michigan, Mr. BONO, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. BUYER, Mr.

SOLOMON, Mr. CHRYSLER, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. SPENCE, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. HASTERT, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas, Mr.

RAHALL, Mr. TALENT, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HUNTER, Mr.

WICKER, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. MONTGOMERY, Mr. HALL of Ohio, Mr. SMITH

of Texas, Mr. MCINNIS, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr.

SCARBOROUGH, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BAKER of California, Mr.

CHAMBLISS, Mr. YOUNG of Alaska, Mr. METCALF, Mr. GUTKNECHT, Mr.

HEINEMAN, Mr. HOEKSTRA, Mr. JONES, Mr. WAMP, Mr. LEWIS of Kentucky, Ms. GREENE of Utah, Mrs. SEASTRAND, Mr. HOKE, Mr. KIM,

Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. CUNNINGHAM, Mr. PETERSON of Minnesota, Mr. WOLF,

Mr. PARKER, Mr. ZELIFF, Mr. LINDER, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. TATE, Mr.

DICKEY, Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. BALLENGER,
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•HR 3396 RH

Mr. SKEEN, Mr. CANADY of Florida, Mr. HAYES, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr.

BLILEY, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. HANSEN, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. PORTMAN, Mr. STENHOLM, Mr.

PETE GEREN of Texas, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. LAHOOD, Ms. DANNER, Mr.

FIELDS of Texas, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. COMBEST, Mr. RIGGS, Mr.

BUNNING of Kentucky, and Mr. PAXON

Deleted sponsor: Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (added May 16, 1996; deleted May

22, 1996)

JULY 9, 1996

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union

and ordered to be printed

A BILL

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense of Marriage

5 Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES.

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 115 of title 28, United

8 States Code, is amended by adding after section 1738B

9 the following:

10 ‘‘§ 1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and

11 the effect thereof

12 ‘‘No State, territory, or possession of the United

13 States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to

14 any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other

15 State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relation-
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1 ship between persons of the same sex that is treated as

2 a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory,

3 possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such

4 relationship.’’.

5 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

6 at the beginning of chapter 115 of title 28, United States

7 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to

8 section 1738B the following new item:

‘‘1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof.’’.

9 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United

11 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow12 ing:

13 ‘‘§ 7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’

14 ‘‘In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress,

15 or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the var16 ious administrative bureaus and agencies of the United

17 States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union be18 tween one man and one woman as husband and wife, and

19 the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite

20 sex who is a husband or a wife.’’.

21 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections

22 at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1, United States

23 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to

24 section 6 the following new item:

‘‘7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’.’’.