2006 -- S 2310

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LC00266

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2006

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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:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 15-1-1 and 15-1-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-1 entitled

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"Persons Eligible to Marry" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     15-1-1. Men forbidden to marry kindred. Men forbidden to marry kindred or

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another man. -- No man shall marry his mother, grandmother, daughter, son's daughter,

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daughter's daughter, stepmother, grandfather's wife, son's wife, son's son's wife, daughter's son's

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wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's son's daughter, wife's daughter's

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daughter, sister, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister, or mother's sister. or another

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man.

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     15-1-2. Women forbidden to marry kindred. Women forbidden to marry kindred

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or another woman. -- No woman shall marry her father, grandfather, son, son's son, daughter's

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son, stepfather, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, son's daughter's husband, daughter's

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daughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's son's son,

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husband's daughter's son, brother, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother, or mother's brother.

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or another woman.

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     SECTION 2. Chapter 15-1 of the General Laws entitled "Persons Eligible to Marry" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     15-1-7. Same sex marriages prohibited. – (a) In determining the meaning of any

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general law or of any ruling, regulation or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and

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agencies of the state of Rhode Island, the word “marriage” means only the legal union between

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one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word “spouse” refers only to a person of

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the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.

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     (b) Neither the state of Rhode Island nor any bureau or agency thereof shall recognize a

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relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage regardless as to whether such

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relationship is recognized as a marriage under the laws of any state, United States territory,

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possession or Indian tribe.

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     (c) If any provision of this section or the application thereof to any person or

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circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of

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this section, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end

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the provisions of this section are declared to be severable.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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LC00266

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N A C T

RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- PERSONS ELIGIBLE TO MARRY

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     This act would prohibit same sex marriages in the state and would prohibit the state from

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recognizing a relationship between persons of the same sex as a marriage.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC00266

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