,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #biai  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ab1 
#bjad,mr4 ,leahy introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title  
#ag1 ,united ,states ,code1 with respect
 to the definition of widow and widower1
 and for other purposes4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,copyright and ,marriage ,equality ,act4
  #b4 ,definition of widow and widower  
in title #ag1 ,united ,states ,code  7a7
 ,in general ,section #aja of title #ag1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended by   
striking the definition of widow or     
widower and inserting the following3    
,an individual is the widow or widower  
of an author if the courts of the ,state
 in which the individual and the author 
were married 7or1 if the individual and 
the author were not married in any      
,state but were validly married in      
another jurisdiction1 the courts of any 

,state7 would find that the individual  
and the author were validly married at  
the time of the author's death1 whether 
or not the spouse has later remarried4  
4  7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment   
made by subsection 7a7 shall apply with 
respect to the death of any author that 
occurs on or after the date of the      
enactment of this ,act4