B 26-0392 Legislature · 26th Council Period (2025-2026)

Let Our Vows Endure Emergency Amendment Act of 2025

This emergency bill allows the Mayor of Washington, D.C., to issue marriage licenses and authorize officiants when the Superior Court Clerk cannot do so due to a federal government shutdown. It amends existing marriage code sections to replace "Clerk" with "Mayor or Clerk" in all relevant provisions, enabling the Mayor to manage license issuance during shutdowns. The bill specifically limits this authority to periods when the Clerk is unable to function because of a federal shutdown, and it expires 90 days after enactment. This ensures continuity for couples seeking marriage licenses during federal funding disruptions.
Bill status signed all 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Oct 2025
Committee Review
Council Passage
Oct 2025
Signed into Law
Oct 2025
Introduced Oct 6, 2025 Signed Oct 9, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduction → Enrollment · 3 edits
MINOR
This bill was converted from a draft legislative version to its enrolled (final) version after passing through the legislative process. The substantive policy content remains identical, but the enrolled version includes official formatting changes, page numbering, signatures, and references to the specific bill number (26-392) and enrollment date.
TECHNICAL

Added official enrolled document formatting including page headers, signatures for the Chairman and Mayor, and bill number references (26-392) that were placeholders in the draft version.

Changed citation from 'D.C. Official Code § 46-401 et seq.' to 'D.C. Official Code § 46-401 passim' in the enrolled version, which is a minor technical correction in legal citation terminology.

Added fiscal impact statement adoption language and effective date provisions that were present in the draft but now appear in the enrolled version with proper formatting and spacing.

Floor votes · Council Oct 7, 2025

How they voted

13–0
Passed
Total votes 13
Oct 7, 2025
D Democratic11
11 Yea
100% Yea
I Independent2
2 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
8
Key actions
1
Committee
0
Oct 7, 2025
Council · Passed
Council Vote: pass (13-0)
council
Oct 6, 2025
Introduced
B26-0392 Introduced by Councilmember Henderson at Office of the Secretary
legislature
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Christina Henderson
Christina Henderson
IIndependent
DC
At-Large