HOUSE BILL No. 6417

 

September 6, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Zelenko, Sak, Gonzales, Meisner, Hune, Shaffer, Gaffney, Wenke, Waters, Alma Smith, Clack, Accavitti, Anderson, Lipsey, Kolb, Kathleen Law, Plakas, Williams, Espinoza, Farrah, Byrnes, Cushingberry, Mayes, Vander Veen, Miller, Vagnozzi and Cheeks and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

     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 section 3 (MCL 551.103), as amended by 1984 PA 346.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 3. (1)  Every  A person who  becomes  is 18 years of age  

 

shall be capable by law of contracting  or older may contract

 

marriage.  Every  A person who  becomes  is 16 years of age but is

 

less than 18 years of age  shall be capable of contracting  may

 

contract marriage with the written consent of 1 of the parents of

 

the person or the person's legal guardian, as provided in this

 

section. As proof of age, the  party to the intended marriage  

 

person who intends to be married, in addition to the statement of


 

age in the application, when requested by the county clerk, shall

 

submit a birth certificate or other proof of age. The county clerk

 

on the application  made  submitted shall fill out the blank spaces

 

of the license according to the sworn answers of the applicant,

 

taken before the county clerk, or some person duly authorized by

 

law to administer oaths.  When  If it appears from the affidavit

 

that either the applicant  is applying for a license for the

 

marriage to a person who has not become  for a marriage license or

 

the person whom he or she intends to marry is less than 18 years of

 

age,  or that the applicant has not become 18 years of age, or both

 

persons applying for a license are less than 18 years of age,  the

 

county clerk shall require that there first be produced the written

 

consent of 1 of the parents of each of the persons who is less than

 

18 years of age or of the person's legal guardian, unless the

 

person does not have a living parent or guardian. The consent shall

 

be to the marriage and to the issuing of the license for which the

 

application is  made  submitted. The consent shall be given

 

personally in the presence of the county clerk or be acknowledged

 

before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer

 

oaths.  unless the person does not have a living parent or

 

guardian.  A license shall not be issued by the county clerk until

 

the requirements of this section are complied with. The written

 

consent shall be preserved on file in the office of the county

 

clerk. If the parties are legally entitled to be married, the

 

county clerk shall sign the license and certify the fact that it is

 

properly issued, and the clerk shall make a correct copy of the

 

license in the books of registration.


 

     (2) An individual shall file a sworn statement with an

 

application for a marriage license indicating whether either party

 

to the intended marriage has been previously married. If either

 

party to the intended marriage has been previously married, a copy

 

of a final decree or judgment of divorce for the most recent 

 

marriage shall be provided to the county clerk. A county clerk

 

shall not issue a marriage license if 1 of the individuals was

 

previously married unless the county clerk receives a copy of a

 

final decree or judgment of divorce from the most recent marriage.

 

     (3)  (2)  A fee of $20.00 shall be paid by the  party  person

 

applying for the license  which  and shall be paid by the county

 

clerk into the general fund of the county. The county board of

 

commissioners shall allocate $15.00 of each fee collected to the

 

circuit court for family counseling services, which shall include

 

counseling for domestic violence and child abuse. If family

 

counseling services are not established in the county, the circuit

 

court may use the money allocated to contract with public or

 

private agencies providing similar services.  Funds  Money

 

allocated to the circuit court pursuant to this section  which are  

 

that is not expended shall be returned to the general fund of the

 

county to be held in escrow until circuit court family counseling

 

services are established pursuant to  Act No. 155 of the Public

 

Acts of 1964, as amended, being sections 551.331 to 551.344 of the

 

Michigan Compiled Laws  the circuit court family counseling

 

services act, 1964 PA 155, MCL 551.331 to 551.344. A probate court

 

may order the county clerk to waive the marriage license fee in

 

cases in which the fee would result in undue hardship. If both


 

parties named in the application are nonresidents of the state, the

 

person applying for the license shall pay an additional fee of

 

$10.00,  shall be paid by the party applying for the license which

 

shall be deposited by  which the county clerk shall deposit into

 

the general fund of the county. The county clerk shall give the

 

license filled out and signed, together with the blank form of

 

certificate, to the  party  person applying, for delivery to the  

 

clergyman or magistrate  individual who is to officiate at the

 

marriage. On the return of the license to the county clerk, with

 

the certificate of the  clergyman or magistrate  individual

 

officiating at the marriage that the marriage has been performed,

 

the county clerk shall record in the book of registration in the

 

proper place of entry the information prescribed by the director of  

 

public  the department of community health. The licenses and

 

certificates issued and returned shall be forwarded to the state

 

registrar appointed by the director of  public  the department of

 

community health on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the

 

director.

 

     (4)  (3)  A charter county  which  that has a population of

 

over 2,000,000 may impose by ordinance a marriage license fee or

 

nonresident marriage license fee, or both, different in amount than

 

the fee prescribed by subsection  (2)  (3). The charter county

 

shall allocate the fee for family counseling services as prescribed

 

by subsection  (2)  (3). A charter county shall not impose a fee  

 

which  that is greater than the cost of the service for which the

 

fee is charged.