Sen. John J. Cullerton

Filed: 5/17/2016

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 166

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 166 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 5. The Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of
5Marriage Act is amended by changing Section 209 as follows:
 
6    (750 ILCS 5/209)  (from Ch. 40, par. 209)
7    Sec. 209. Solemnization and Registration.
8    (a) A marriage may be solemnized by a judge of a court of
9record, by a retired judge of a court of record, unless the
10retired judge was removed from office by the Judicial Inquiry
11Board, except that a retired judge shall not receive any
12compensation from the State, a county or any unit of local
13government in return for the solemnization of a marriage and
14there shall be no effect upon any pension benefits conferred by
15the Judges Retirement System of Illinois, by a judge of the
16Court of Claims, by a county clerk in counties having 2,000,000

 

 

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1or more inhabitants, by a public official whose powers include
2solemnization of marriages, by a certified marriage celebrant,
3or in accordance with the prescriptions of any religious
4denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group, provided
5that when such prescriptions require an officiant, the
6officiant be in good standing with his or her religious
7denomination, Indian Nation or Tribe or Native Group. Either
8the person solemnizing the marriage, or, if no individual
9acting alone solemnized the marriage, both parties to the
10marriage, shall complete the marriage certificate form and
11forward it to the county clerk within 10 days after such
12marriage is solemnized.
13    As used in this subsection (a):
14    "Certified marriage celebrant" means a celebrant or
15officiant of any life stance organization who is authorized by
16the organization to solemnize marriages.
17    "Life stance organization" means a group: that is
18recognized as a nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue
19Service; whose members are committed to the promotion of a life
20stance based upon comprehensive values, beliefs, and
21practices; and that is not affiliated with or controlled by any
22religious institution or religious authority.
23    (a-5) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require any
24religious denomination or Indian Nation or Tribe or Native
25Group, or any minister, clergy, or officiant acting as a
26representative of a religious denomination or Indian Nation or

 

 

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1Tribe or Native Group, to solemnize any marriage. Instead, any
2religious denomination or Indian Nation or Tribe or Native
3Group, or any minister, clergy, or officiant acting as a
4representative of a religious denomination or Indian Nation or
5Tribe or Native Group is free to choose which marriages it will
6solemnize. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a
7refusal by a religious denomination or Indian Nation or Tribe
8or Native Group, or any minister, clergy, or officiant acting
9as a representative of a religious denomination or Indian
10Nation or Tribe or Native Group to solemnize any marriage under
11this Act shall not create or be the basis for any civil,
12administrative, or criminal penalty, claim, or cause of action.
13    (a-10) No church, mosque, synagogue, temple,
14nondenominational ministry, interdenominational or ecumenical
15organization, mission organization, or other organization
16whose principal purpose is the study, practice, or advancement
17of religion is required to provide religious facilities for the
18solemnization ceremony or celebration associated with the
19solemnization ceremony of a marriage if the solemnization
20ceremony or celebration associated with the solemnization
21ceremony is in violation of its religious beliefs. An entity
22identified in this subsection (a-10) shall be immune from any
23civil, administrative, criminal penalty, claim, or cause of
24action based on its refusal to provide religious facilities for
25the solemnization ceremony or celebration associated with the
26solemnization ceremony of a marriage if the solemnization

 

 

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1ceremony or celebration associated with the solemnization
2ceremony is in violation of its religious beliefs. As used in
3this subsection (a-10), "religious facilities" means
4sanctuaries, parish halls, fellowship halls, and similar
5facilities. "Religious facilities" does not include facilities
6such as businesses, health care facilities, educational
7facilities, or social service agencies.
8    (b) The solemnization of the marriage is not invalidated:
9(1) by the fact that the person solemnizing the marriage was
10not legally qualified to solemnize it, if a reasonable person
11would believe the person solemnizing the marriage to be so
12qualified; or (2) by the fact that the marriage was
13inadvertently solemnized in a county in Illinois other than the
14county where the license was issued and filed.
15    (c) Any marriage that meets the requirements of this
16Section shall be presumed valid.
17(Source: P.A. 98-597, eff. 6-1-14; 99-90, eff. 1-1-16.)".