H.R. 3396


			A BILL

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

1	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

4 	This Act may be cited as the ``Defense of Marriage

5 Act''.

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 1 SEC 2. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

 2	(a) IN GENERAL---Chapter 1, of title 1, United
 
 3 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow-
 
 4 ing:

 5 ``7. Definition of `mariage' and `spouse'

 6	``In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress,

 7 or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the var-

 8 ious administrative bureaus and agencies of the United

 9 States, the word `marriage' means only a legal union be-

10 tween one man and one woman as husband and wife, and 

11 the word `spouse' refers only to a person of the opposite

12 sex who is a husband or a wife.''.

13	(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.---The table of sections 

14 at the beginning of chapter 1 of title 1, United States

15 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to

16 section 6 the following new item:
	"7. Definition of `marriage' and `spouse'.".

17 SEC. 3. POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES.

18 	(a) IN GENERAL---Chapter 115 of title 26, United

19 States Code, is amended by adding after section 1738B

20 the following:

21 "1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and 

22 		the effect thereof

23	``No States, territory, or possession of the United

24 States, or Indian tribe, shall be required to give effect to

25 any public act, record, or judicial preceeding of any other

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 1 State, territory, possession or tribe respecting a relation-

 2 ship between persons of the same sex that is treated as

 3 a marriage under the laws of such other State, territory, 

 4 possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such

 5 relationship.''.

 6	(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.---The table of sections 

 7 at the beginning of chapter 115 of title 28, United States

 8 Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to

 9 section 1738B the following new item:
	"1738C. Certain acts, records, proceedings and the effect thereof"