CIVIL CELEBRANT; SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE S.B. 285 - 287:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bills 285 through 287 (as introduced 5-7-25)
Sponsor: Senator Veronica Klinefelt
CIVIL CELEBRANT; SOLEMNIZE MARRIAGE S.B. 285 - 287:
SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bills 285 through 287 (as introduced 5-7-25)
Sponsor: Senator Veronica Klinefelt
CONTENT
Senate Bill 285 would amend Chapter 83 (Of marriage and the solemnization thereof) of the Revised Statutes of 1846 to allow a civil celebrant, a township supervisor, or a State legislator to solemnize (officially perform) a marriage. "Civil celebrant" would mean an individual who is at least 18 years of age and who works in accordance with the wishes of the client couple.
Senate Bill 286 would amend Public Act (PA) 128 of 1887 (Marriage Licenses) to replace references to a clergyman or magistrate with references to a marriage officiant, in accordance with Senate Bill 285’s proposed changes. In addition, the bill would increase, from $100 to $500, the fine for a marriage officiant who violated any provision of PA 128 of 1887. Finally, the bill would require two witnesses to give their signature instead of their residences on a marriage certificate and would require the individual officiating a marriage to fill in the individual's name, title, and address on a marriage certificate.
Senate Bill 287 would amend Chapter 83 of the Revised Statutes of 1846 to specify that a marriage officially performed by an individual authorized under Senate Bill 285 would be valid regardless of that individual's actual solemnization authority.
Senate Bils 285 and 286 are tie-barred. Senate Bill 287 is tie-barred to Senate Bill 285.
551.101 et al. (S.B. 286)
551.16 (S.B. 287)
PREVIOUS LEGISLATION
(This section does not provide a comprehensive account of previous legislative efforts on this subject matter.)
Senate Bills 285 and 286 are respectively reintroductions of Senate Bills 1044 and 1045 from the 2023-2024 Legislative Session. Senate Bills 1044 and 1045 passed the Senate and were referred directly to the Floor in the House but received no further action.
Legislative Analyst: Alex Krabill
FISCAL IMPACT
Senate Bill 285 would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Senate Bill 286 would increase, from $100 to $500, the fine for a violation of PA 128 of 1887, resulting in an increase in funding for local libraries. Revenue from misdemeanor fines is used to fund local and county law libraries. The amount of additional funding is indeterminate and depends on how many violations actually occurred.
The bills could have a negative fiscal impact on revenue for cities and counties, but the impact would be extremely minor. Under current law, only judges, magistrates, mayors, county clerks, and employees of Wayne County’s Clerk’s office (due to the County’s size) are authorized to perform marriage ceremonies. Mayors' offices and county clerks are required by law to charge a fee for this service, with most fees between $10 and $20. Judges and magistrates are not required to charge a fee.
The language of the bill would not automatically reduce the number of marriages performed by mayors or county clerks. Furthermore, the bill's impact on specific counties or cities would depend on the specific situation of each individual county or city. For example, marriage ceremony services are not currently offered by Wayne County, so the bill would have no fiscal impact on the County’s revenue. Even if all marriage ceremonies performed by county clerks were instead performed by civil celebrants, the annual loss of revenue for the median-sized county would likely be less than $1,000 per year. There have been about 51,000 marriages in Michigan over each of the last three years, down several thousand per year since before the coronavirus pandemic.
Senate Bill 287 would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Joe Carrasco, Jr.
SAS\S2526\s285sa This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. |