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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Duran

DATE TYPED 3/2/05

HB

SHORT TITLE Waive Marriage Fees for Premarital Education

SB 1050

ANALYST Hadwiger

APPROPRIATION

(in $000s)

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

REVENUE

Estimated Revenue

Subsequent

Years Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

($30.0)

($30.0) Recurring

Children’s Trust

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 1050 would exempt couples who have completed at least 12 hours of premarital edu-

cation from paying a marriage license and marriage certificate fee. The bill specifies documenta-

tion needed to qualify for the exemption as well as that the education must be provided by a

member of the clergy, licensed psychiatrist, licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family

therapist, licensed independent social worker or licensed professional mental health counselor

and must include use of a premarital inventory and teaching of communication and conflict man-

agement skills.

Senate Bill 1050 -- Page 2

Significant Issues

Senate Bill 1050 creates an incentive for couples to get premarital counseling. This counseling

may be beneficial in sustaining marriages, improving long-term relationships, and reducing the

rate of divorce.

The Children, Youth and Families Department noted that this bill would disrupt a major funding

source for the Children’s Trust Fund. In current law, $15 of every $25 marriage license is di-

rected to the Children’s Trust Fund for programs that prevent child abuse and neglect. Approxi-

mately 45% of the revenues for the Children’s Trust Fund are generated from marriage license

fees. The redirection of this revenue will severely impair the ability of the CTF program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

If 2,000 couples qualified for this exemption annually, there would be a $30,000 decrease in

revenues to the Children’s Trust Fund. CYFD projects that up to 45 percent of the revenues to

this fund could be diverted if all revenues from marriage licenses and certificates were waived.

Additionally, counties would lose their share of revenues from these licenses and certificates.

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