Constitutional amendment (first reference); HJ 582 marriage; repeal of same-sex marriage prohibition; affirmative right to marry. (Incorporates: HJ539 (Levine) and HJ557 (Lopez), Companion Bills: SJ 270 (Ebbin)) Repeals the constitutional provision defining marriage as only a union between one man and one woman as well as the related provisions that are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015). The amendment provides that the right to marry is a fundamental right inherent in the liberty of persons and requires the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions and agents to issue marriage licenses, recognize marriages, and treat all marriages equally under the law, regardless of the sex or gender of the parties to the marriage. Religious organizations and clergy acting in their religious capacity have the right to refuse to perform any marriage. EV SUPPORTS

HJ 582 Status: House: Agreed to (60-Y 33-N) Senate: Agreed to (22-Y 12-N)

Constitutional amendment; marriage (first reference). – SJ 270 (Ebbin) (Companion Bills: HJ 582 (Sickles), HJ 557 (Lopez), and HJ 539 (Levine)) Proposes the repeal of the constitutional amendment dealing with marriage that was approved by referendum at the November 2006 election. That amendment to the Bill of Rights (i) defines marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman”; (ii) prohibits the Commonwealth and its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing “a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effects of marriage”; and (iii) prohibits the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions from creating or recognizing “another union, partnership, or other legal status to which is assigned the rights, benefits, obligations, qualities, or effects of marriage.” The provisions of this section of the Constitution of Virginia are no longer valid as a result of the United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. ___ (June 26, 2015). EV SUPPORTS

SJ 270 Status: Senate: agreed to (24-Y 12-N) House: VOTE: Adoption (60-Y 37-N)