SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1181        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2063

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Anne M. Gobi

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying resolve:

Resolve providing for an investigation and study by special commission relative to the one-day solemnizer rule.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1181        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2063

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1831 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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Resolve providing for an investigation and study by special commission relative to the one-day solemnizer rule.

Resolved, That a special commission is hereby established for the purposes of making an investigation and study relative to the effects of Massachusetts’s one-day solemnizer rule on those citizens of the commonwealth who have been designated as, or solemnized by, either a justice of the peace or a one-day solemnizer. The commission shall consist of: the secretary of state or a designee, whom shall serve as chair of the special commission; 1 member of the senate, whom shall be appointed by the senate president; 1 member of the house, whom shall be appointed by the speaker; the commissioner of public health or a designee from the registry of vital records and statistics; 1 of whom shall be a justice of the probate and family court; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Town Clerks Association; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association; 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Justice of the Peace Association; and 3 persons appointed by the governor, 2 of whom have participated as a one-day solemnizer, and 1 of whom serves as a justice of the peace.

The special commission shall investigate and study the effects of Massachusetts’ one-day solemnizer rule, including but not limited to implementation of chapter 207, section 39 of the General Laws, the integrity of the Commonwealth’s marriage certificate, the increased demand for marriages performed by one-solemnizers, availability of justices of the peace in the Commonwealth, opportunities for collaboration between justices of the peace and one-day solemnizers, the code of ethics governing justices of the peace and one-day solemnizers.            

All appointments shall be made not later than 30 days after the effective date of this resolve. The chair shall meet with the commission not later than 60 days after the effective date of this resolve.

Members shall not receive compensation for their services but may receive reimbursement for the reasonable expenses incurred in carrying out their responsibilities as members of the commission.

Not later than October 15, 2021, the commission shall report to the general court the result of its investigation and study and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerk of the house of representatives and the clerk of the senate.