Senate Bill No. 26
(By Senator Bailey)
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[Introduced January 12, 2000; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend article two, chapter five of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
by adding thereto a new section, designated section four,
relating to establishing a statewide registry for persons
authorized to celebrate marriages; creating a registration
period of five years and a registration fee; requiring
persons to register with the secretary of state; and
requiring secretary of state to supply forms, update the
registry biannually and publish the registry on the internet
when possible.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by
adding thereto a new section, designated section four, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 2. SECRETARY OF STATE.
§5-2-4. Statewide registry for persons authorized to celebrate
marriages.
(a) The secretary of state shall establish a central
registry for persons authorized to celebrate marriages pursuant
to section twelve, article one, chapter forty-eight of this code
that is easily accessible by the public.
(b) Every person authorized to celebrate marriages shall
register with the secretary of state on a form prescribed by the
secretary of state. Such registration shall be valid for a
period of five years. The clerks of the county commissions shall
maintain a supply of forms from the secretary of state to
facilitate registration. A registration fee shall be charged not
to exceed twenty-five dollars to administer the program.
(c) The
secretary of state shall publish the
registry on the
internet, when possible, and annually supply the clerks of the
county commissions with a copy of the registry so that it may be
made available to the public at the office of the clerk.
(d) The secretary of state shall update the registry
biannually.
(e) No marriage performed by a person authorized by law to
celebrate marriages shall be invalidated solely because the
person failed to meet the requirements of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a statewide
central registry of persons authorized to celebrate marriages
that is easily accessible by the public. Persons authorized to
celebrate marriages are required to register with the secretary
of state on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, who
shall update the registry biannually and publish it on the
internet when possible.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.