HB 623

Abstract

Gender-neutral terms; prohibitions on same-sex marriage and civil unions removed from Code; certain gender-specific crimes; penalty. Replaces the terms "husband" and "wife," as well as related terms, with gender-neutral terms throughout the Code to comport with the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). The bill also repeals the statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unions or other arrangements between persons of the same sex purporting to bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage, and it makes conforming changes to various laws involving married individuals and their rights stemming from marriage. Further, the bill makes applicable to all persons, regardless of the gender of the victim, the crimes of (i) assisting or aiding in the abduction of or threatening to abduct a female under 16 years of age for the purpose of concubinage or prostitution; (ii) placing or leaving one's wife in a bawdy place; and (iii) defaming the chaste character of a female. The bill provides that a defendant placed on probation may be ordered to provide support for the defendant's spouse; currently, the law only provides for support of a defendant's wife. The bill also amends various criminal and criminal procedure laws to make them applicable to both same-sex and opposite-sex married couples.

Gender-neutral terms; prohibitions on same-sexmarriage and civil unions removed from Code; certain gender-specificcrimes; penalty. Replaces the terms "husband" and "wife" as wellas related terms with gender-neutral terms throughout the Code tocomport with the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefellv. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). The bill also repealsthe statutory prohibitions on same-sex marriages and civil unionsor other arrangements between persons of the same sex purportingto bestow the privileges and obligations of marriage, and it makesconforming changes to various laws involving married individualsand their rights stemming from marriage. Further,the bill makes applicable to all persons, regardless of the genderof the victim, the crimes of (i) assisting or aiding in the abductionof or threatening to abduct a female under 16 years of age for the purpose of concubinage or prostitution; (ii) placing or leavingone's wife in a bawdy place; and (iii) defaming the chaste characterof a female. The bill provides that a defendant placed on probationmay be ordered to provide support for the defendant's spouse; currently,the law only provides for support of a defendant's wife. The billalso amends various criminal and criminal procedure laws to make them applicable to both same-sex and opposite-sex married couples. Finally,the bill repeals the crime of adultery.