Bill > B26-0393

This bill temporarily amends the District of Columbia's marriage license laws to allow the Mayor to issue marriage licenses and authorize marriage officiants during a federal government shutdown when the Clerk of the Superior Court is unable to issue licenses. The key provisions include empowering the Mayor to create and issue marriage license forms, maintain records of marriages performed during the shutdown, and track marriage licenses with a unique numbering system. The Mayor would be required to keep accurate copies of marriage licenses, maintain record books with couples' and officiants' information, and transmit copies of these documents to the Superior Court Clerk within 5 business days. Importantly, this authority is strictly limited to periods of federal government shutdown and is temporary, with the act set to expire after 225 days of taking effect. The bill modifies existing legal language to replace references to the Clerk with references to the Mayor or the Clerk, ensuring flexibility in marriage license issuance during potential government disruptions. The goal is to ensure that couples can still legally marry even if the court system is temporarily non-operational due to a federal shutdown.

https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B26-0393