Proposed marriage and divorce bills at a glance - Houston Chronicle.
April 14, 2007
Proposed marriage and divorce bills at a glance
By The Associated Press
Proposed legislation potentially affecting Texans getting married or divorced are:
_House Bill 180, by Rep. William Zedler, R-Arlington: Allows couples applying for a marriage license or couples already married to designate theirs a "covenant marriage," declaring it is to last for life and making divorce more difficult.
_House Bill 1704, by Rep. William Zedler, R-Arlington: Moves the marriage waiting period from 72 hours to 120 hours.
_HB 2684, by Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa: Encourages couples filing for divorce to attend a 10-hour crisis marriage counseling course. The instruction must include conflict management and forgiveness skills.
_SB 583, by Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston: Requires a 180-day, or six-month, waiting period for couples seeking a no-fault divorce, up from the current two months. The waiting time would be three months if the couple undergoes 10 hours of marital counseling.
_House Bill 2685, by Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa: Waives the $30 marriage license fee and 72-hour marriage waiting period for couples who take premarital instruction courses. An accompanying bill would make some federal money allocated to the state available for courses.
