NO. 148.  AN ACT RELATING TO TEMPORARY OFFICIANTS FOR MARRIAGES AND CIVIL UNIONS.

(S.233)

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1.  18 V.S.A. § 5144 is amended to read:

§ 5144.  PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE

Marriages may be solemnized by a supreme court justice, a superior court judge, a district judge, a judge of probate, an assistant judge or, a justice of the peace, an individual who has registered as an officiant with the Vermont secretary of state pursuant to section 5144a of this title, a member of the clergy residing in this state and ordained or licensed, or otherwise regularly authorized thereunto by the published laws or discipline of the general conference, convention, or other authority of his or her faith or denomination, or by such a clergy person residing in an adjoining state or country, whose parish, church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization lies wholly or in part in this state, or by a member of the clergy residing in some other state of the United States or in the Dominion of Canada, provided he or she has first secured from the probate court of the district within which the marriage is to be solemnized a special authorization, authorizing him or her to certify the marriage if such probate judge determines that the circumstances make the special authorization desirable.  Marriage among the Friends or Quakers, the Christadelphian Ecclesia, and the Baha'i Faith may be solemnized in the manner heretofore used in such societies.

Sec. 2.  18 V.S.A. § 5144a is added to read:

§ 5144a.  TEMPORARY OFFICIANT FOR MARRIAGES

(a)  By registering with the secretary of state, an individual may temporarily be authorized to solemnize a marriage in this state.  When registering, the individual shall provide:

(1)  A completed registration form provided by the secretary of state.

(2)  A $100.00 fee.

(b)  Upon registration as a temporary officiant, the individual shall be authorized to solemnize only the marriage designated on the registration form, and shall receive proof of that authority from the secretary of state.  The individual’s authority to solemnize that marriage shall expire at the same time as the corresponding license.

Sec. 3.  18 V.S.A. § 5164 is amended to read:

§ 5164.  Persons authorized to certify civil unions

Civil unions may be certified by a supreme court justice, a superior court judge, a district judge, a judge of probate, an assistant judge or, a justice of the peace or by, an individual who has registered as an officiant with the secretary of state pursuant to section 5164a of this title, a member of the clergy residing in this state and ordained or licensed, or otherwise regularly authorized by the published laws or discipline of the general conference, convention or other authority of his or her faith or denomination, or by such a clergy person residing in an adjoining state or country, whose parish, church, temple, mosque, or other religious organization lies wholly or in part in this state, or by a member of the clergy residing in some other state of the United States or in the Dominion of Canada, provided he or she has first secured from the probate court of the district within which the civil union is to be certified, a special authorization, authorizing him or her to certify the civil union if such probate judge determines that the circumstances make the special authorization desirable.  Civil unions among the Friends or Quakers, the Christadelphian Ecclesia, and the Baha'i Faith may be certified in the manner used in such societies.

Sec. 4.  18 V.S.A. § 5164a is added to read:

§ 5164a.  TEMPORARY OFFICIANT FOR CIVIL UNIONS

(a)  By registering with the secretary of state, an individual may temporarily be authorized to certify a civil union in this state.  When registering, the individual shall provide:

(1)  A completed registration form provided by the secretary of state.

(2)  A $100.00 fee.

(b)  Upon registration as a temporary officiant, the individual shall be authorized to certify only the civil union designated on the officiant registration form, and shall receive proof of that authority from the secretary of state.  The individual’s authority to certify that civil union shall expire at the same time as the corresponding license.

Approved:  May 16, 2008