Bill Text: MI SB1256 | 2017-2018 | 99th Legislature | Introduced


Bill Title: Family law; marriage and divorce; marriage for persons under 16 years of age; allow with consent of both parents. Amends sec. 3 of 1887 PA 128 (MCL 551.103).

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-12-05 - Referred To Committee Of The Whole With Substitute S-2 [SB1256 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2017-SB1256-Introduced.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE BILL No. 1256

 

 

December 4, 2018, Introduced by Senators JONES and O'BRIEN 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 2006 PA 578.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 3. (1) A person who is 18 years of age or older may

 

contract marriage. A person who is 16 years of age but is less than

 

18 years of age may contract marriage with the written consent of 1

 

both of the parents of the person or the person's legal guardian,

 

as provided in this section. As proof of age, the 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 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. If it appears from the affidavit that either the

 

applicant for a marriage license or the person whom he or she

 

intends to marry is less than 18 years of age, the county clerk

 

shall require that there first be produced the written consent of 1

 

both of the parents of each of the persons who is less than 18

 

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

 

person does not have a 2 living parent or guardian. parents,

 

written consent must be obtained from the person's 1 living parent.

 

The consent shall be to the marriage and to the issuing of the

 

license for which the application is 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. 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) A fee of $20.00 shall be paid by the person applying for

 

the license 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. Money allocated to the circuit court

 

pursuant according to this section 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 according to 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,

 

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 person

 

applying, for delivery to the individual who is to officiate at the

 

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

 

containing the signatures of the witnesses to the marriage, who

 

shall be 18 years of age or older, the individuals being married,

 

and the individual officiating at the marriage, with the

 

certificate of the 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 the department of community health

 

and human services. The licenses and certificates issued and

 

returned shall be forwarded to the state registrar appointed by the


director of the department of community health and human services

 

on the forms and in the manner prescribed by the director.

 

     (3) A charter county that has a population of over 2,000,000

 

1,500,000 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). The charter county shall

 

allocate the fee for family counseling services as prescribed by

 

subsection (2). A charter county shall not impose a fee that is

 

greater than the cost of the service for which the fee is charged.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.

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