The Defense of Marriage Act / Public Law 104-199
        Defense of Marriage Act (Enrolled Bill (Sent to President))

H.R.3396

                        One Hundred Fourth Congress
                                   of the
                          United States of America
                           AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-six

An Act

To define and protect the institution of marriage.

     Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
     States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the `Defense of Marriage Act'.

SEC. 2. POWERS RESERVED TO THE STATES.

     (a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 115 of title 28, United States Code, is
     amended by adding after section 1738B the following:

`Sec. 1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect thereof

     `No State, territory, or possession of the United States, or Indian
     tribe, shall be required to give effect to any public act, record, or
     judicial proceeding of any other State, territory, possession, or
     tribe respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that
     is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State,
     territory, possession, or tribe, or a right or claim arising from such
     relationship.'.

     (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of
     chapter 115 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting
     after the item relating to section 1738B the following new item:

          `1738C. Certain acts, records, and proceedings and the effect
          thereof.'.

SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF MARRIAGE.

     (a) IN GENERAL- Chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, is amended
     by adding at the end the following:

`Sec. 7. Definition of `marriage' and `spouse'

     `In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling,
     regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative 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.'.

     (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of
     chapter 1 of title 1, United States Code, is amended by inserting
     after the item relating to section 6 the following new item:

          `7. Definition of `marriage' and `spouse'.'.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.