| Chapter 084 |
| 2021 -- H 5034 SUBSTITUTE A Enacted 06/25/2021 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO DOMESTIC RELATIONS -- SOLEMNIZATION OF MARRIAGES |
Introduced By: Representative Katherine S. Kazarian |
| Date Introduced: January 15, 2021 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 15-3-5 of the General Laws in Chapter 15-3 entitled "Solemnization |
| of Marriages" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 15-3-5. Officials empowered to join persons in marriage. |
| Every ordained clergy or elder in good standing; every justice of the supreme court, |
| superior court, family court, workers' compensation court, district court or traffic tribunal; the clerk |
| of the supreme court; every clerk, administrative clerk, or general chief clerk of a superior court, |
| family court, district court, or traffic tribunal; magistrates, special or general magistrates of the |
| superior court, family court, traffic tribunal or district court; administrative clerks of the district |
| court; administrators of the workers' compensation court; every former justice or judge and former |
| administrator of these courts; every former chief clerk of the district court; every former clerk, |
| administrative clerk, or general chief clerk of a superior court; the secretary of the senate; elected |
| clerks of the general assembly; any former secretary of the senate; any former elected clerk of the |
| general assembly who retires after July 1, 2007; judges of the United States appointed pursuant to |
| Article III of the United States Constitution; bankruptcy judges appointed pursuant to Article I of |
| the United States Constitution; and United States magistrate judges appointed pursuant to federal |
| law, may join persons in marriage in any city or town in this state; and every justice and every |
| former justice of the municipal courts of the cities and towns in this state and of the police court of |
| the town of Johnston and the administrator of the Johnston municipal court, while he or she is |
| serving as an administrator, and every probate judge and every former probate judge may join |
| persons in marriage in any city or town in this state, and wardens of the town of New Shoreham |
| may join persons in marriage in New Shoreham. In addition to the foregoing, the governor shall |
| designate, upon application, any person eighteen (18) years or older to solemnize a particular |
| marriage on a particular date and in a particular city or town, and may for cause at any time revoke |
| such designation. In the case of persons so designated by the governor, the secretary of state shall |
| promulgate rules and regulations as may be necessary to implement and carry out the provisions of |
| this section. The secretary of state shall issue a certificate of designation upon payment of twenty- |
| five dollars ($25.00) for applications delivered by mail, facsimile, or hand. All applications |
| submitted electronically shall pay a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00). Upon payment, a certificate of |
| designation shall be issued within twenty-one (21) days. The certificate shall expire upon |
| completion of the solemnization. The fees collected under this section shall be deposited into the |
| general fund. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take on January 1, 2022. |
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| LC000598/SUB A/2 |
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