Updated July 13, 2020 When it comes to amateur officiants in New Hampshire, the Justice of the Peace Association fights diligently on behalf of our members.That is because logic and righteousness are on our side. We’ve done the research. We’ve explored alternatives. We’ve built allies. And we played by the rules. A Quick Summary In June 2019, the legislative session ended with an upset. The special marriage officiant bill died after the Senate President blocked it – based on the problems raised by JPus. While we were successful, we also knew that our work wasn’t done. The bill would be […]

Last year, with the support of NH JPs, JPus successfully blocked the special officiant bill. Since that time we worked behind the scenes to have language in the bill modified. Although we were led to believe that changes would be made, they weren’t. A new bill, HB 1599, was submitted for the 2020 session and the language remains the same as last year. Additional information about the bill and JPus’ activity is below in Related Links. The Justice of the Peace Association will be submitting this written statement to the New Hampshire House. It is in opposition to HB 1599, An […]

This is a blow-by-blow account of how the Justice of the Peace Association responded to proposed legislation in Connecticut, SB-396, JP for a Day, as reported by managing member, Loretta Jay.  SB-396 JP for a Day It was late on Friday, March 2nd, when Barbara Jay received an email from Betsy Moukawsher, Groton, Connecticut’s Town Clerk, warning that a bill was introduced to the current legislative session. SB-396 said very simply that the Secretary of the State could appoint justices of the peace “to perform a single joining of persons in marriage”. The bill, coined JP for a Day, was […]

Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight On October 1, 2019, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight held a hearing on the Resolve to evaluate the One Day Solemnizer rule. This hearing was in response to JPus’ members concerns, conveyed through JPus’ January 2019 white paper. Senator Julian Cyr sponsored a Resolve to create a commission study on the One-Day Solemnizer rule. JPus and the Town Clerk Association would be members of the Commission. To be successful, JPs and town clerks will need to engage legislators. Call Committee Chairs and let them know you support the […]

This page is not being updated. The following bills were submitted to the Massachusetts General Court in 2019: S 1831  establishes a commission study to evaluate the One-Day rule (Cyr) SD 941 increases application fees for 1-Dayers (Gobi) SD 943 broadens JP’s advertising to include in “any public media” (Gobi) S1833 increases the fees that JPs may charge to $120 in-town, and $180 for out-of-town ceremonies (DiDomenico). See JPus’ statement of support. Background: One-Day Rule: Senator Cyr’s bill, S 1831, is in response to JPus’ white paper outlining the problems with the One-Day rule. The bill would develop a committee to […]

All of the New England states that JPus is active in use gender-neutral terms on marriage licenses. However, this wasn’t always the case. The History We were pleased to learn that in 2019 Maine started using gender-neutral terms when referring to marriage or familial relationships. This prompted JPus to conduct a quick survey of the other states that we serve, asking what terminology was used. Vermont and New Hampshire allow couples to check a box indicating bride/groom/spouse, and only the term checked is on the license. Massachusetts uses gender neutral terms: Party A and Party B. At the time, Connecticut’s […]

Ways and Means Committee On March 6, 2019, Loretta Jay, of the Justice of the Peace Association, testified before the New Hampshire House Ways and Means Committee opposing HB 295. The bill would establish a special marriage officiant license, allowing temporary officiants. Focus on Revenue The Ways and Means Committee’s focus is on raising revenue, so JPus’ testimony emphasized how this bill, if implemented, would create unintended fiscal losses to both the state and municipalities. More information about HB 295 and JPus’ response to special officiants. Written Testimony Many thanks to the New Hampshire JPs who mobilized quickly and endorsed […]

This event has ended. Please visit our Event Page for Upcoming Activities. Stay-home orders have made audio-video marriages a thing. Meaning, the couple in one location and the officiant in another. So far, none of the states that JPus is active in has taken this route. But the governors of New York, New Jersey and Colorado have, and now video (Zoom, Skype, Facetime, etc) officiants are allowed in those states. To evaluate the pros and cons, we  invited JPus members to talk, together, during a Zoom call on May 19, 2020. Video Officiants: Why they Troubles Us With video marriages […]