SB-0964, As Passed House, December 9, 2004                                  

SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE BILL NO. 964

                                                                             A bill to amend 1887 PA 128, entitled                                             

"An act establishing the minimum ages for contracting marriages;            

to require a civil license in order to marry and its                        

registration; to provide for the implementation of federal law;             

and to provide a penalty for the violation of this act,"                    

by amending the title and section 2 (MCL 551.102), as amended by            

1998 PA 333, and by adding sections 2a and 2b.                              

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1                                 TITLE                                         

2                                                                                An act  establishing to establish the minimum ages for                            

3   contracting marriages; to establish premarital education; to                

4   require a civil license in order to marry and its registration;             

5   to provide for the implementation of federal law; and to provide            

6   a penalty for the violation of this act.                                    

7       Sec. 2.  (1) Blank forms for a marriage license and                         

8   certificate shall be prepared and furnished by the state                    

9   registrar appointed by the director of the department of                    

1   community health to  the each county  clerks clerk of this                

2   state in  quantities the quantity needed.  The blank  forms

3   form for a license and certificate shall be made in duplicate and           

4   shall provide spaces for the entry of identifying information of            

5   the parties and other items prescribed by statute and in rules              

6   promulgated by the director of the department of community                  

7   health.  The state registrar shall furnish to  all the each

8   county  clerks clerk of this state blank application forms  of             

9   an affidavit that include a sworn statement containing the                 

10  requisite allegations, under the laws of this state, of the                 

11  competency of the parties to unite in the bonds of matrimony.  ,            

12  and as required to comply with federal law, containing a space              

13  requiring each applicant's social security number.

14  (2) A party applying for a license to marry shall make and                  

15  file the application in the form of  an affidavit a sworn                  

16  statement with the county clerk as a basis for issuing the                  

17  license.  The license shall be made a matter of record and shall            

18  be transmitted to the department of community health in the                 

19  manner prescribed by the state registrar.  The state registrar              

20  shall not require an applicant's social security number to be               

21  displayed on the marriage license.                                          

22  (3)  (2)  A person shall not disclose, in a manner not                      

23  authorized by law or rule, a social security number collected as            

24  required by this section.  A violation of this subsection is a              

25  misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90 days            

26  or a fine of not more than $500.00, or both.  A second or                   

27  subsequent violation of this subsection is a felony punishable by           

1   imprisonment for not more than 4 years or a fine of not more than           

2   $2,000.00, or both.                                                         

3   (4)  (3)  A requirement under this section to include a                     

4   social security number on an application does not apply to an               

5   applicant who demonstrates he or she is exempt under law from               

6   obtaining a social security number or to an applicant who for               

7   religious convictions is exempt under law from disclosure of his            

8   or her social security number under these circumstances.  The               

9   county clerk shall inform the applicant of this possible                    

10  exemption.                                                                  

11  Sec. 2a.  (1) Except as provided in subsection (3), a man                   

12  and a woman who intend to apply for a marriage license shall                

13  together complete a program in premarital education as prescribed           

14  in section 2b.  The individuals applying for the marriage license           

15  shall verify completion of the premarital education program by a            

16  statement to that effect in the application sworn statement and             

17  by filing with the application a certificate of completion from             

18  the program administrator.                                                  

19      (2) Except as provided in subsection (3), if an individual                  

20  who is intending to apply for a marriage license is less than 18            

21  years of age, both parties applying for the license and at least            

22  1 parent or guardian of each party who is a minor shall complete            

23  and verify completion of a program of premarital education as               

24  prescribed in section 2b.  The parent's or guardian's attendance            

25  requirement prescribed by this subsection does not apply if the             

26  minor who intends to apply for a marriage license is emancipated            

27  as provided in 1968 PA 293, MCL 722.1 to 722.6.                             

Senate Bill No. 964 (S-2) as amended December 9, 2004

1       (3) An individual applying for a marriage license may choose                

2   not to comply with this section.  If either party to a marriage             

3   license application does not comply with this section, a longer             

4   waiting period applies as provided in section 3a.  This section             

5   and the longer waiting period prescribed in section 3a do not               

6   apply if both the man and the woman applying for the marriage               

7   license are 50 years of age or older.

8   Sec. 2b.  (1) A premarital education program required by                    

9   section 2a shall meet all of the following criteria:                        

10      (a) The program shall emphasize skill-building strategies and               

11  shall include, at least, conflict management, communication                 

12  skills, financial matters, and, if the couple has or intends to             

13  have children, child and parenting responsibilities.                        

14      (b) The program shall be at least 4 hours long and shall be                 

15  conducted by 1 or more of the following:                                    

16                                                                               (i) A licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and                        

17  family therapist, licensed or limited licensed psychologist, or[, until July 1, 2005,]

18  certified social worker or social worker licensed or registered             

19  as required in article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368,           

20  MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838[, or, beginning July 1, 2005, a social worker, licensed master's social worker, licensed bachelor's social worker, or social service technician as prescribed under article 15 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.16101 to 333.18838].                                            

21      (ii) A psychiatrist as that term is defined in section 100c                  

22  of the mental health code, 1974 PA 258, MCL 330.1100c.                      

23      (iii) An official representative of a religious institution.                 

24      (2) An individual who provides a premarital education program               

25  under this section may offer a fee schedule for the program                 

26  described in this section that accommodates families of various             

27  financial means, including allowing participation by indigent               

Senate Bill No. 964 (S-2) as amended December 9, 2004

1   individuals for no fee.  Payment for a premarital education                 

2   program shall be made directly to the program provider.

3       Enacting section 1.  This amendatory act takes effect                       

4   October 1, [2005].                                                          

5       Enacting section 2.  This amendatory act does not take                      

6   effect unless [all of the following bills of the 92nd Legislature are

7 enacted into law:

    (a) House Bill No. 5467.

    (b) House Bill No. 5468.

    (c) House Bill No. 5469.

    (d) House Bill No. 5470.

    (e) House Bill No. 5471.

    (f) House Bill No. 5473.

    (g) House Bill No. 5474.

    (h) Senate Bill No. 959.

    (i) Senate Bill No. 961.

    (j) Senate Bill No. 963.

    (k) Senate Bill No. 966.]