Tennessee House Bill 878

{{Short description|Proposed state law in Tennessee, US}}

{{Infobox legislation

| name = Tennessee House Bill 878

| legislature = Tennessee General Assembly

| image = Seal of Tennessee.svg

| enacted_by = Tennessee House of Representatives

| enacted_by2 = Tennessee Senate

| signed_by =

| date_signed =

| date_commenced =

| introduced_by = Monty Fritts

| introduced_by2 = Mark Pody

| passed = March 6, 2023

| passed_for = 74

| passed_against = 22

| passed2 =

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| status =

}}

Tennessee House Bill 878 is a proposed state law in the U.S. state of Tennessee, granting an individual the right to refuse to solemnize a marriage if the individual has a religious or conscience-based objection to that partnership.{{cite web |last1=Ring |first1=Trudy |title=Tennessee May Allow Clerks to Refuse Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples |url=https://news.yahoo.com/tennessee-may-allow-clerks-refuse-194530269.html |website=yahoo! news |date=9 March 2023 |access-date=15 March 2023}} The law was passed in 2024 and signed into law by Governor Bill Lee.{{Cite web |last=Faqiri |first=Shirin |date=2024-02-21 |title=Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs law that allows people to refuse to 'solemnize' marriage licenses |url=https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/21/us/tennessee-marriage-license-solemnize-reaj/index.html |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=CNN |language=en}}

The law would thus allow wedding officiants to legally discriminate against couples entering interracial unions, heterosexual unions and same-sex marriages. According to its critics, the bill is vaguely worded in order "to invite a Kim Davis-type lawsuit to go up against Obergefell" and test existing marriage equality case law.{{cite web |last1=McCullough |first1=Erin |title=Critics call TN GOP solemnization bill an invitation for lawsuits |url=https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/critics-call-tn-gop-solemnization-bill-an-invitation-for-lawsuits/ |website=WKRN |date=11 March 2023 |access-date=15 March 2023}}

The Senate sponsor, Republican Sen. Mark Pody, stated in 2015 that God had called on him to stop same-sex marriages.{{cite web |last1=Alvarez |first1=Eric |title=State Rep: God telling him to fight same sex marriage, Tenn. Equality Project Responds |url=https://fox17.com/news/local/state-rep-god-telling-him-to-fight-same-sex-marriage-tenn-equality-project-responds |website=Fox 17 |date=18 December 2015 |access-date=15 March 2023}} Previously, Pody sponsored the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act in 2019, which would have prohibited government officials from facilitating same-sex marriages.{{cite web |last1=Aviles |first1=Gwen |title='Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act' seeks to strip gay marriage rights |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/tennessee-natural-marriage-defense-act-seeks-strip-gay-marriage-rights-n970596 |website=NBC News |date=12 February 2019 |access-date=15 March 2023}} The House sponsor, Rep. Monty Fritts stated, "This bill was designed to be simply and clearly to protect the rights of the officiate or officiates of wedding ceremonies."{{cite web |last1=Cantrell |first1=Aaron |title=A bill on marriage licensure creates confusion, unease in LGBTQ community |url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/a-bill-on-marriage-licensure-creates-confusion-unease-in-lgbtq-community |website=News Channel 5 |date=11 March 2023 |access-date=15 March 2023}}