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Texas bill seeks to allow Hindu, Muslim and Sikh priests officiate weddings
The bill promotes inclusivity, empowering diverse religious communities to officiate legal marriage ceremonies in Texas.
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Texas flag / Canva
A new bill introduced in the State of Texas legislature aims to broaden the list of individuals authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies in the state to include priests from diverse faiths.
Currently as the law authorizes only Christian priests and Jewish Rabbis to solemnize marriages in the state, House Bill 1044 (HB 1044), introduced by Rep. Salman Bhojani, the first Muslim American to hold elected office in Euless, seeks to update the Family Code to include more diverse religious figures to the list of authorized officiants.
The new bill seeks to amend this provision by giving the same status to a Buddhist monk or priest, Hindu pandit, Muslim imam, and Sikh granthi. This addition is seen as a significant step in addressing the state's diverse religious and cultural fabric.
If passed, HB 1044 is set to take effect from September 1, 2025, and will apply to all marriage ceremonies conducted after that date. The bill has garnered widespread support for its inclusivity and cultural sensitivity.
According to World Atlas, nearly 2 percent of the residents of Texas identify as either Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, or others. Islam is the third-largest religion in the U.S., with nearly 4.45 million people, followed by Hinduism, with nearly 3.37 million, and Buddhism, with around 1.3 million adherents.
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