An emergency bill was unanimously passed by the DC Council that allows couples to get married in the city during the partial government shutdown, The Hill reported Tuesday.
The legislation, called "Let Our Vows Endure," or LOVE, gives the mayor's office and the city's courts the authority to issue marriage licenses during the shutdown.
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser tweeted Tuesday:
"Love knows no boundaries. Today, council votes on the LOVE Act, which will allow couples to get a DC marriage license during the #GovernmentShutdown. Another reason why 702,000 residents deserve statehood."
When the partial government shutdown began Dec. 22, one of the nonessential services closed down was Washington D.C.'s Marriage Bureau, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Those wanting to be married had to postpone their plans or hold a second ceremony in Maryland or Virginia.
Couples must obtain a marriage license from the District's marriage bureau in order to be legally married.
The new legislations authorizes the mayor "to issue marriage licenses and authorize officiants during a period of time when the Clerk of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia is not issuing marriage licenses because of a federal government shutdown."
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