Texas passes marriage education funding

> Contact:  Maggie Russell 281-528-0480
>
> The Texas Senate passed historic legislation [already passed in the House] to strengthen existing marriages
> and give couples considering marriage the skills and knowledge they need to
> form healthy marriages.
>
> The Senate passed HB 2683 by a vote of 26 to 5. "This legislation will provide
> thousands of Texas couples the tools they need to sustain healthy marriages"
> said Maggie Russell, Chair of the Texas Fatherhood and Marriage Leadership
> Institute (FAMLI).  Russell said: "Thousands of Texas couples get divorced
> every year because they have not had access to marriage skills building
> classes." 
>
> Arlene Wohlgemuth, President of Three Point Strategies and the former Texas
> House Member from Burleson said "Texas will now become the nation's leader in
> the effort to provide marriage and pre-marital skills building classes to
> those who need it most.  Texas also won more money in the recently allocated
> Federal Healthy Marriage grants from the Department of Health and Human
> Services than any other state in the nation other than California."
>
> Under HB2683, the total funding for the marriage skills programs will be
> $7.5Million per year.  Supporters are working to ensure that the
> appropriations bill reflects the vote of the House and Senate for 1% of the
> total TANF Block Grant to be allocated to the Healthy Marriage Initiative.