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HB4621 • 2025

Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Hernandez
Last action
2025-05-16
Official status
05/16/2025 S Referred to State Affairs
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

What This Bill Does

  • Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-16 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  2. 2025-05-16 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to State Affairs

  3. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 3rd time

  4. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed

  5. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote. RV#2631

  6. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal

  7. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported engrossed

  8. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Received from the House

  9. 2025-05-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 2nd time

  10. 2025-05-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Amended. 1-Hernandez

  11. 2025-05-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed to engrossment as amended

  12. 2025-05-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote. RV#2516

  13. 2025-05-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal

  14. 2025-05-11 Texas Legislature Online

    Placed on General State Calendar

  15. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in Calendars

  16. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report distributed

  17. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report sent to Calendars

  18. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator

  19. 2025-04-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Recalled from subcommittee

  20. 2025-04-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in formal meeting

  21. 2025-04-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee substitute considered in committee

  22. 2025-04-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported favorably as substituted

  23. 2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .

  24. 2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered by s/c in public hearing

  25. 2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee

  26. 2025-04-14 Texas Legislature Online

    Left pending in subcommittee

  27. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  28. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker

  29. 2025-03-12 Texas Legislature Online

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county clerk after the marriage ceremony.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
89(R) HB 4621 - Engrossed version - Bill Text

By: Hernandez

H.B. No. 4621

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the return of a completed marriage license to a county

clerk after the marriage ceremony.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2.206, Family Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (a-1) and amending Subsection (b) to read as follows:

(a-1)

Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a person who conducts

a marriage ceremony may authorize the parties to the marriage to

return the recorded and subscribed license to the county clerk who

issued the license not later than the date prescribed by that

subsection.

(b) A person who fails to comply with
Subsection (a)
[
this

section
] commits an offense. An offense under this section is a

misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $200 and not more

than $500.
This subsection does not apply to:

(1)

a person who conducts a marriage ceremony and, as

provided by Subsection (a-1), authorizes the parties to the

marriage to return the marriage license to the county clerk; or

(2)

a party to the marriage who is authorized under

Subsection (a-1) to return the marriage license to the county

clerk.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a marriage ceremony conducted on or after the effective date of this

Act. A marriage ceremony conducted before the effective date of

this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the ceremony

was conducted, and the former law is continued in effect for that

purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.