1 U.S.C. § 7 — Marriage

Page 5 TITLE 1—GENERAL PROVISIONS § 7 is used in any law of the United States enacted after the date of enactment of this Act [June 25, 1959], it shall mean the 49 States on the North American Con- tinent and the District of Columbia, unless otherwise expressly provided.’’ § 2. ‘‘County’’ as including ‘‘parish’’, and so forth The word ‘‘county’’ includes a parish, or any other equivalent subdivision of a State or Terri- tory of the United States. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.) § 3. ‘‘Vessel’’ as including all means of water transportation The word ‘‘vessel’’ includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.) § 4. ‘‘Vehicle’’ as including all means of land transportation The word ‘‘vehicle’’ includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transpor- tation on land. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.) § 5. ‘‘Company’’ or ‘‘association’’ as including suc- cessors and assigns The word ‘‘company’’ or ‘‘association’’, when used in reference to a corporation, shall be deemed to embrace the words ‘‘successors and assigns of such company or association’’, in like manner as if these last-named words, or words of similar import, were expressed. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 633.) § 6. Limitation of term ‘‘products of American fisheries’’ Wherever, in the statutes of the United States or in the rulings, regulations, or interpretations of various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States there appears or may ap- pear the term ‘‘products of American fisheries’’ said term shall not include fresh or frozen fish fillets, fresh or frozen fish steaks, or fresh or frozen slices of fish substantially free of bone (including any of the foregoing divided into sec- tions), produced in a foreign country or its terri- torial waters, in whole or in part with the use of the labor of persons who are not residents of the United States. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 634.) § 7. Marriage (a) For the purposes of any Federal law, rule, or regulation in which marital status is a factor, an individual shall be considered married if that individual’s marriage is between 2 individuals and is valid in the State where the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage en- tered into outside any State, if the marriage is between 2 individuals and is valid in the place where entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State. (b) In this section, the term ‘‘State’’ means a State, the District of Columbia, the Common- wealth of Puerto Rico, or any other territory or possession of the United States. (c) For purposes of subsection (a), in deter- mining whether a marriage is valid in a State or the place where entered into, if outside of any State, only the law of the jurisdiction applicable at the time the marriage was entered into may be considered. (Added Pub. L. 104–199, § 3(a), Sept. 21, 1996, 110 Stat. 2419; amended Pub. L. 117–228, § 5, Dec. 13, 2022, 136 Stat. 2306.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Pub. L. 117–228 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: ‘‘In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administra- tive bureaus and agencies of the United States, the word ‘marriage’ means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ‘spouse’ refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.’’ Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SEVERABILITY Pub. L. 117–228, § 8, Dec. 13, 2022, 136 Stat. 2307, pro- vided that: ‘‘If any provision of this Act [see Short Title of 2022 Amendment note set out under section 1 of this title], or any amendment made by this Act, or the application of such provision to any person, entity, government, or circumstance, is held to be unconstitu- tional, the remainder of this Act, or any amendment made thereby, or the application of such provision to all other persons, entities, governments, or cir- cumstances, shall not be affected thereby.’’ FINDINGS Pub. L. 117–228, § 2, Dec. 13, 2022, 136 Stat. 2305, pro- vided that: ‘‘Congress finds the following: ‘‘(1) No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devo- tion, sacrifice, and family. ‘‘(2) Diverse beliefs about the role of gender in mar- riage are held by reasonable and sincere people based on decent and honorable religious or philosophical premises. Therefore, Congress affirms that such peo- ple and their diverse beliefs are due proper respect. ‘‘(3) Millions of people, including interracial and same-sex couples, have entered into marriages and have enjoyed the rights and privileges associated with marriage. Couples joining in marriage deserve to have the dignity, stability, and ongoing protection that marriage affords to families and children.’’ NO IMPACT ON RELIGIOUS LIBERTY AND CONSCIENCE Pub. L. 117–228, § 6, Dec. 13, 2022, 136 Stat. 2306, pro- vided that: ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act [see Short Title of 2022 Amendment note set out under section 1 of this title], or any amendment made by this Act, shall be construed to diminish or abrogate a religious liberty or conscience protection otherwise available to an indi- vidual or organization under the Constitution of the United States or Federal law. ‘‘(b) GOODS OR SERVICES.—Consistent with the First Amendment to the Constitution, nonprofit religious or- ganizations, including churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, nondenominational ministries, interdenomi- national and ecumenical organizations, mission organi- zations, faith-based social agencies, religious edu- cational institutions, and nonprofit entities whose principal purpose is the study, practice, or advance- ment of religion, and any employee of such an organi- Page 6 TITLE 1—GENERAL PROVISIONS § 8 1 So in original. Does not conform to section catchline. zation, shall not be required to provide services, accom- modations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges for the solemnization or celebration of a marriage. Any refusal under this subsection to provide such services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privi- leges shall not create any civil claim or cause of ac- tion.’’ STATUTORY PROHIBITION Pub. L. 117–228, § 7, Dec. 13, 2022, 136 Stat. 2306, pro- vided that: ‘‘(a) NO IMPACT ON STATUS AND BENEFITS NOT ARISING FROM A MARRIAGE.—Nothing in this Act [see Short Title of 2022 Amendment note set out under section 1 of this title], or any amendment made by this Act, shall be construed to deny or alter any benefit, status, or right of an otherwise eligible entity or person which does not arise from a marriage, including tax-exempt status, tax treatment, educational funding, or a grant, contract, agreement, guarantee, loan, scholarship, li- cense, certification, accreditation, claim, or defense. ‘‘(b) NO FEDERAL RECOGNITION OF POLYGAMOUS MAR- RIAGES.—Nothing in this Act, or any amendment made by this Act, shall be construed to require or authorize Federal recognition of marriages between more than 2 individuals.’’ § 8. ‘‘Person’’, ‘‘human being’’, ‘‘child’’, and ‘‘indi- vidual’’ as including born-alive infant (a) In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or inter- pretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States, the words ‘‘person’’, ‘‘human being’’, ‘‘child’’, and ‘‘indi- vidual’’, shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. (b) As used in this section, the term ‘‘born alive’’, with respect to a member of the species homo sapiens, means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother of that mem- ber, at any stage of development, who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beat- ing heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, regard- less of whether the umbilical cord has been cut, and regardless of whether the expulsion or ex- traction occurs as a result of natural or induced labor, cesarean section, or induced abortion. (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affirm, deny, expand, or contract any legal status or legal right applicable to any member of the species homo sapiens at any point prior to being ‘‘born alive’’ as defined in this section. (Added Pub. L. 107–207, § 2(a), Aug. 5, 2002, 116 Stat. 926.) CHAPTER 2—ACTS AND RESOLUTIONS; FOR- MALITIES OF ENACTMENT; REPEALS; SEALING OF INSTRUMENTS Sec. 101. Enacting clause. 102. Resolving clause. 103. Enacting or resolving words after first sec- tion. 104. Numbering of sections; single proposition. 105. Title of appropriation Acts. 106. Printing bills and joint resolutions. 106a. Promulgation of laws. 106b. Amendments to Constitution. 107. Parchment or paper for printing enrolled bills or resolutions. 108. Repeal of repealing act. 109. Repeal of statutes as affecting existing liabil- ities. Sec. 110. Saving clause of Revised Statutes. 111. Repeals as evidence of prior effectiveness. 112. Statutes at Large; contents; admissibility in evidence. 112a. United States Treaties and Other Inter- national Agreements; contents; admissi- bility in evidence. 112b. United States international agreements and non-binding instruments; transparency pro- visions. 113. ‘‘Little and Brown’s’’ edition of laws and treaties; slip laws; Treaties and Other Inter- national Act 1 Series; admissibility in evi- dence. 114. Sealing of instruments. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Pub. L. 117–263, div. E, title LIX, § 5947(a)(2), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3481, added item 112b and struck out former item 112b ‘‘United States international agreements; transmission to Congress’’. 1972—Pub. L. 92–403, § 2, Aug. 22, 1972, 86 Stat. 619, added item 112b. 1966—Pub. L. 89–497, § 2, July 8, 1966, 80 Stat. 271, in- serted ‘‘slip laws; Treaties and Other International Acts Series;’’ in item 113. 1951—Act Oct. 31, 1951, ch. 655, § 2(a), 65 Stat. 710, added items 106a and 106b. 1950—Act Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1001, § 3, 64 Stat. 980, added item 112a. § 101. Enacting clause The enacting clause of all Acts of Congress shall be in the following form: ‘‘Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem- bled.’’ (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 634.) § 102. Resolving clause The resolving clause of all joint resolutions shall be in the following form: ‘‘Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem- bled.’’ (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 634.) § 103. Enacting or resolving words after first sec- tion No enacting or resolving words shall be used in any section of an Act or resolution of Congress except in the first. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 634.) § 104. Numbering of sections; single proposition Each section shall be numbered, and shall con- tain, as nearly as may be, a single proposition of enactment. (July 30, 1947, ch. 388, 61 Stat. 634.) § 105. Title of appropriation Acts The style and title of all Acts making appro- priations for the support of Government shall be as follows: ‘‘An Act making appropriations (here insert the object) for the year ending September 30 (here insert the calendar year).’’