House File 2251 HOUSE FILE BY ALONS Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to marriage, providing an effective date, and 2 providing for retroactive applicability. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 6131HH 80 5 pf/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 595.1B EXCLUSIVITY. 1 2 The rights, benefits, protections, responsibilities, and 1 3 other incidents of the legal status of marriage granted by 1 4 law, whether derived from statute, administrative or court 1 5 rule, city or county ordinance, policy, bylaw, common law, or 1 6 any other source of civil law, shall not be conferred upon, 1 7 contracted for, or otherwise provided to unmarried couples or 1 8 groups of persons. 1 9 Sec. 2. Section 595.20, Code 2003, is amended to read as 1 10 follows: 1 11 595.20 FOREIGN MARRIAGES == OTHER LEGAL AGREEMENTS == 1 12 VALIDITY. 1 13 1. A marriage which is solemnized in any other state, 1 14 territory, country, or any foreign jurisdiction which is valid 1 15 in that state, territory, country, or other foreign 1 16 jurisdiction, is valid in this state if the parties meet the 1 17 requirements for validity pursuant to section 595.2, 1 18 subsection 1, and if the marriage would not otherwise be 1 19 declared void. 1 20 2. A civil contract or other legal arrangement which is 1 21 valid in any other state, territory, country, or any foreign 1 22 jurisdiction and which does not confer the legal status of 1 23 marriage upon an unmarried couple or group of persons but does 1 24 confer upon an unmarried couple or group of persons the 1 25 rights, benefits, protections, responsibilities, or other 1 26 incidents of marriage granted by law, whether derived from 1 27 statute, administrative or court rule, city or county 1 28 ordinance, policy, bylaw, common law, or other source of civil 1 29 law, is not valid in this state. 1 30 Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE AND RETROACTIVE APPLICABILITY. 1 31 This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect 1 32 upon enactment and is retroactively applicable to January 1, 1 33 1999. 1 34 EXPLANATION 1 35 This bill provides that the rights, benefits, protections, 2 1 responsibilities, and other incidents of the legal status of 2 2 marriage granted by law, derived from various sources, are not 2 3 to be conferred upon, contracted for, or otherwise provided to 2 4 unmarried couples or groups of persons. Additionally, the 2 5 bill provides that a civil contract or other legal arrangement 2 6 which is valid in any other state, territory, country, or any 2 7 foreign jurisdiction and which does not confer the legal 2 8 status of marriage upon an unmarried couple or group of 2 9 persons but does confer upon them the rights, benefits, 2 10 protections, responsibilities, or other incidents of marriage 2 11 granted by law, derived from a number of sources, is not valid 2 12 in this state. 2 13 The bill takes effect upon enactment and is retroactively 2 14 applicable to January 1, 1999. 2 15 LSB 6131HH 80 2 16 pf/sh/8.2