HOUSE BILL NO. 6441

November 12, 2020, Introduced by Rep. Sabo and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Municipal Finance.

"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 An individual who is 18 years of age or older may contract marriage. A person An individual who is 16 years of age but is less than 18 years of age may contract marriage with the written consent of 1 of the individual's parents of the person or the person's legal guardian, as provided in this section. As proof of age, the person individual 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 submitted application submitted shall fill out the blank spaces of the marriage license according to the sworn answers of the applicant, taken before the county clerk, or some person individual duly authorized by law to administer oaths. If it appears from the affidavit that either the applicant for a marriage license or the person individual 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 of the parents of each of the persons individual who is less than 18 years of age or of the person's individual's legal guardian, unless the person individual does not have a living parent or legal guardian. The parent or legal guardian shall consent shall be to the marriage and to the issuing issuance of the marriage license. for which the application is submitted. The consent shall Consent must 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 The county clerk shall not issue a marriage license shall not be issued by the county clerk until the requirements of this section are complied with. The written consent shall must 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 marriage license and certify the fact that it the marriage license is properly issued. , and the The county clerk shall make a correct copy of the marriage license in the books of registration.

(2) A The individual applying for the marriage license shall pay a fee of $20.00 shall be paid by the person applying for the license and shall be paid by the $50.00. The county clerk shall deposit the fee 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 must 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 to under this section that is not expended shall must be returned to the general fund of the county to be held in escrow until circuit court family counseling services are established pursuant to under 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 individuals named in the application are nonresidents of the this state, the person individual applying for the marriage license shall pay an additional fee of $10.00, $25.00, which the county clerk shall deposit into the general fund of the county. The county clerk shall give the marriage license filled out and signed, together with the blank form of certificate, to the person individual applying for the marriage license, for delivery to the individual who is to officiate at officiating the marriage. On the return of the marriage license to the county clerk, containing the signatures of the witnesses to the marriage, who shall must 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 marriage licenses and certificates issued and returned shall must 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 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.