Bill > HB1300

This bill would authorize marriages between two persons of the same sex in Texas and repeal existing laws that prohibit the recognition of civil unions or similar relationships entered into in other states between same-sex couples. Specifically, it amends the Family Code to allow a man and a man, or a woman and a woman, to obtain a marriage license and to be recognized as married. The bill also updates language to refer to "spouses" instead of "husband and wife" in various contexts, including the declaration of informal marriage and the dissolution of marriage, and clarifies that a "spouse" is a party to a marriage, removing language that excluded members of same-sex civil unions. Additionally, it repeals several sections of the Family Code and Government Code that are related to the prohibition of same-sex marriage and the recognition of out-of-state relationships. The bill's effectiveness is contingent upon the approval of a constitutional amendment by voters that would repeal the current constitutional definition of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.