H.R. 8396 · 117th Congress · House

Loving v. Virginia Codification Act of 2022

Active· Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Introduced
Jul 15, 22
Passed House
Pending
Passed Senate
Pending
Sent to President
Pending
Signed into Law
Pending

Executive Summary

Loving v. Virginia Codification Act of 2022

This bill provides statutory authority for interracial marriages.

Specifically, the bill prohibits any state from enacting a law or regulation that infringes on the right to marry or not marry a person of another race. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.)

The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action for violations. It also establishes a private right of action through Section 1983 lawsuits (Section 1983 is a federal statute that allows individuals to sue state or local government actors for violations of constitutional rights).