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 Okla-
homa, 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. LIPIN-
SKI, 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 Ken-
tucky, 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,
Mr. SKEEN, Mr. CANADY of Florida, Mr. HAYES, Mr. RADANOVICH, Mr.
BLILEY, Mr. WHITFIELD, Mrs. VUCANOVICH, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. HAN-
SEN, 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Defense of Marriage
Act’’.
SEC. 2. POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 115 of title 28, United
States Code, is amended by adding after section 1738B
the following:
‘‘§ 1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and
the effect thereof
‘‘No State, territory, or possession of the United
States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to
any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other
State, territory, possession, or tribe respecting a relation-
ship between persons of the same sex that is treated as
a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory,
possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such
relationship.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 115 of title 28, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 1738B the following new item:
‘‘1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof.’’.
SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 1 of title 1, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing:
‘‘§ 7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’
‘‘In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress,
or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the var-
ious administrative bureaus and agencies of the United
States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union be-
tween one man and one woman as husband and wife, and
the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite
sex who is a husband or a wife.’’.
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections
at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to
section 6 the following new item:
‘‘7. Definition of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’.’’.