Sponsored by:
Senator LORETTA WEINBERG
District 37 (Bergen)
Senator LINDA R. GREENSTEIN
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Permits freeholders and municipal clerks to solemnize marriage and civil union ceremonies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning marriages and civil unions and amending R.S.37:1-13.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. R.S.37:1-13 is amended to read as follows:
37:1-13. Authorization to solemnize marriages and civil unions.
Each judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, each judge of a federal district court, United States magistrate, judge of a municipal court, judge of the Superior Court, judge of a tax court, retired judge of the Superior Court or Tax Court, or judge of the Superior Court or Tax Court, the former County Court, the former County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, or the former County District Court who has resigned in good standing, surrogate of any county, freeholder, county clerk and any mayor or former mayor or the deputy mayor when authorized by the mayor, [or] chairman of any township committee or village president of this State, or municipal clerk of this State, and every minister of every religion, are hereby authorized to solemnize marriages or civil unions between such persons as may lawfully enter into the matrimonial relation or civil union; and every religious society, institution or organization in this State may join together in marriage or civil union such persons according to the rules and customs of the society, institution or organization.
(cf: P.L.2006, c.103, s.17)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would add freeholders, municipal clerks, and former mayors to the list of people authorized to solemnize marriage and civil union ceremonies. Currently, marriage and civil union ceremonies may be solemnized by judges of the United States Third Circuit Court of Appeals, federal district court judges, United States magistrates, municipal court judges, active and retired Superior Court and Tax Court judges, judges who resigned in good standing from the Superior Court, Tax Court, the former County Court, the former County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, or the former County District Court, county surrogates, county clerks, mayors, deputy mayors when authorized by the mayor, the chairman of any township committee or village president, and every minister of every religion.