Divorce Prevention Legislation

North Dakota Reform bill turned into a study, passes senate

The Senate Judiciary Committee was mostly against the original SB  2367 on pre-divorce education, and turned it into a study, which was approved by the senate. Better connaisseurs of legislative language than I should tell us who "the legislative management is", and what, if anything, happens when the legislature says  the legislative management shall consider studying" something.

Further status reports and textual massages at http://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/62-2011/bill-index/bi2367.html

TEXT THAT PASSED SENATE:
A BILL to provide for a legislative management study relating to divorce reform and education.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:SECTION 1. LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT STUDY - DIVORCE REFORM AND EDUCATION. During the 2011-12 interim, the legislative management shall consider studying the physical, emotional, and financial effects associated with divorce involving dependentchildren. The legislative management shall offer legislative policy solutions, including divorc ereform legislation and marriage and relational education, which will lead to increasing the number of dependent children living in intact families. The legislative management shall report its findings and recommendations, together with any legislation required to implement therecommendations, to the sixty-third legislative assembly.

Malta PM opposes referendum for no-fault divorce upon 4-years' living apart

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110221/local/pm-fears-no-fault-divorce

Other news stories seem to indicate the referendum will be held May 28, 2011.

Montana pre-divorce counseling bill - HB 438 - dies

Divorce counseling measure dies in Montana House

 Feb 21, 2011 6:38 AM by Marnee Banks (KXLH Helena) 

This is the Montana bill reported earlier on this blog

Mississippi 5-year divorce bill defeated; AP story misrepresents as being about abuse

The Family Law News Blog: Mississippi 5-year divorce bill defeated; AP story misrepresents as being about abuse.

Malta: Possible referendum to allow divorce

Malta: Possible referendum to allow divorce

Montana pre-divorce counseling bill - HB 438

Bill status and text

Article on bill's introduction and initial reactions for and against.

most relevant text --

[unless the parties have undertaken counseling within the previous 12 months that otherwise satisfies the requirements of this section], before the court may issue a decree of dissolution of marriage or legal separation of parties with minor children, the court shall order the parties to complete at least 10 hours of counseling in not less than 8 weeks consisting of at least 3 hours of individual counseling of each party and 4 hours of joint counseling of the parties. Counseling must include but is not limited to conciliation strategies and the effect of divorce on minor children. Counseling must be paid for by the parties, and costs may be allocated between the parties by the court. Counseling must be provided by:

     (i) a marriage mentor appointed by a member of the clergy;

     (ii) a licensed marriage or family counselor;

     (iii) a licensed psychiatrist or a licensed psychologist;

     (iv) a licensed professional clinical mental health counselor;

     (v) a licensed independent social worker; or

     (vi) an official representative of a religious institution.

     (b) The requirements of subsection (5)(a) do not apply if there has been a claim of physical abuse of one of the parties by the other. Corroboration is not required for a claim of physical abuse for the purposes of this subsection (5)(b)."

 

Covenant Marriage introduced in Kansas

Status and link to text 

N.D. divorce waiting period/counseling bill

SB 2367 -  Relating to a waiting period for divorce and to mandatory marital counseling. 12 month waiting period before a divorce would be granted, when children are a part of the family. Mandatory counseling would be required before the divorce would be granted after the 12 month period.

Text and Status

North Dakota bill to counteract marriage penalty in federal taxes

HB 1072 passed the house 94-0, now in Senate. Introduced by Rep. Nathe, Belter, L. Meier, Porter Introduced by Sen. Cook, Hogue (At the request of the Tax Commissioner) A BILL for an Act to create and enact a new subdivision to subsection 2 of section 57-38-30.3 of the North Dakota Century Code, relating to an income tax deduction to remove the marriage penalty contained in the federal standard deduction for married persons filing jointly; and to provide an effective date.        

Text and current status