Let Our Vows Endure Amendment Act of 2025

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
Statement of Introduction
Let Our Vows Endure Amendment Act of 2025
October 20, 2025
Today, I am proud to introduce the Let Our Vows Endure Amendment Act of 2025, along with
Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmembers Brooke Pinto, Charles Allen, Anita Bonds,
Robert C. White, Jr., Janeese Lewis George, Matthew Frumin, Kenyan R. McDuffie, and
Brianne K. Nadeau.
Under permanent law, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issues marriage licenses to
couples who wish to marry in the District. The District does not have control over the funding or
operations of the courts under Home Rule. During full or partial federal government shutdowns,
certain aspects of court functions are considered essential and operate as normal, but the issuance
of marriage licenses is considered a non-essential function of the Superior Court. Therefore,
during full and partial federal government shutdowns, the Clerk of the Superior Court of the
District of Columbia cannot issue marriage licenses.
This feature of the District’s judicial system inconveniences District residents and others who
have planned to marry during a time that happens to overlap with a federal government
shutdown. Federal government shutdowns have become more frequent in the past decade.
Congress often reaches agreements that prevent a shutdown right before federal government
funding expires. The Council has passed emergency versions of this legislation three times in the
past seven years, and the frequency of shutdowns or near-shutdowns imposes significant
inconvenience and worry upon couples who have planned, most often months in advance, to
marry in the District.
This legislation would guarantee stability and alleviate the concerns of engaged couples, their
families, and officiants by authorizing a smooth transition of marriage license issuance functions
to the Mayor during full or partial federal government shutdowns. The Mayor would possess this
authority only during a federal government shutdown, and the Superior Court would issue
marriage licenses in all other instances.
This is a simple and technical fix that will allow residents and visitors to rely on predictable,
efficient execution of what are truly routine and necessary government functions. I look forward
to working with my colleagues to pass this measure into permanent law in the coming year.
Christina Henderson Committee Member
Councilmember, At-Large Human Services
Chairperson, Committee on Health Facilities
Transportation and the Environment
______________________________ ______________________________ 1
Chairman Phil Mendelson Councilmember Christina Henderson 2
3
4
______________________________ ______________________________ 5
Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 6
7
8
______________________________ ______________________________ 9
Councilmember Anita Bonds Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. 10
11
12
______________________________ ______________________________ 13
Councilmember Janeese Lewis George Councilmember Matthew Frumin 14
15
16
______________________________ ______________________________ 17
Councilmember Kenyan R. McDuffie Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau 18
19
20
21
22
A BILL 23
24
__________ 25
26
27
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 28
29
__________________ 30
31
To amend An Act To establish a code of law for the District of Columbia to authorize the Mayor 32
to issue marriage licenses and authorize temporary marriage officiants during a period of 33
time when the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia is not issuing 34
marriage licenses because of a federal government shutdown. 35
36
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 37
act may be cited as the “Let Our Vows Endure Amendment Act of 2025”. 38
Sec. 2. Chapter Forty-Three of An Act To establish a code of law for the District of 39
Columbia, approved March 3, 1901 (31 Stat. 1391; D.C. Official Code § 46-401 et seq.), is 40
amended by adding a new Section 1297a to read as follows: 41

2
“Sec. 1297a. Authority of Mayor to issue marriage licenses. 42 “(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the Mayor shall be authorized to 43 issue marriage licenses and authorize officiants during a period of time when the Clerk of the 44 Superior Court of the District of Columbia (“Clerk”) is not issuing marriage licenses because of 45 a total or partial federal government shutdown. 46 “(b)(1) During a period when the Clerk is not issuing marriage licenses because of a total 47 or partial federal government shutdown, the Mayor shall perform the duties delegated to the 48 Clerk under sections 1288(a)(4), 1291, 1292, 1293, and 1295. 49 “(2)(A) The Mayor shall create a form for a license to perform a marriage 50 ceremony that is consistent with the form set forth in section 1293; except, that such a form shall 51 be modified by replacing the references to “Clerk’s Office of the Superior Court of the District of 52 Columbia”, “Court”, “Clerk”, “Assistant Clerk”, and “Clerk of the Superior Court of the District 53 of Columbia” with appropriate references to the Mayor or to an office or officer within the 54 executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia; provided, that the form may 55 require that the license be returned to one or either of: 56 “(i) The Clerk’s Office of the Superior Court of the District 57 of Columbia; or 58 “(ii) The Mayor or to an office or officer within the 59 executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia. 60 “(B) The Mayor shall issue the form for a license described in 61 subparagraph (A) of this paragraph to persons authorized by section 1288 to perform a marriage 62 ceremony when authorized to issue a license. 63 “(3)(A) The Mayor shall maintain: 64
3
“(i) A true and accurate copy of each marriage license 65 issued by the Mayor affixed with a seal; 66 “(ii) Each marriage license certificate returned to the 67 Mayor by a minister, magistrate, or other person authorized by section 1288 to perform or 68 witness a marriage ceremony; 69 “(iii) A record book filled with the names and residences 70 of the parties for whose marriage any license has been issued by the Mayor; and 71 “(iv) A record book filled with the names of each 72 minister, magistrate, or other person authorized by section 1288 to perform or witness a marriage 73 ceremony (“officiant”) who has returned a marriage license certificate to the Mayor and the 74 license number of each marriage license certificate returned by the officiant. 75 “(B) A copy of each license and marriage license certificate so 76 kept and recorded, certified by the Mayor, shall be competent evidence of the marriage. 77 “(C) The Mayor shall number each marriage license consecutively, 78 from one upward, and with an alphabetical prefix to such number to distinguish each license 79 issued by the Mayor from licenses issued by the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of 80 Columbia. 81 “(D)(i) Within 5 business days after a marriage license is issued by 82 the Mayor or a marriage license certificate is returned to the Mayor by a minister, magistrate, or 83 other person authorized by section 1288 to perform or witness a marriage ceremony, the Mayor 84 shall transmit to the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia a true and accurate 85 copy of the marriage license or marriage license certificate. 86
4
“(ii) A copy of each license and marriage license 87 certificate so transmitted, as maintained and certified by the Clerk, shall be competent evidence 88 of the marriage.”. 89 Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 90 The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 91 impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 92 approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 93 Sec. 4. Effective date. 94 This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 95 Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional 96 review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 97 December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 98