| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to premarital preparation; amending s. |
| 3 | 741.01, F.S.; providing for an additional marriage license |
| 4 | fee and distribution of proceeds; providing for refund of |
| 5 | this additional fee for completion of a premarital |
| 6 | preparation course; amending s. 741.011, F.S.; conforming |
| 7 | a provision to changes made by this act; amending s. |
| 8 | 741.0305, F.S.; increasing the minimum number of hours of |
| 9 | a premarital preparation course; specifying that the use |
| 10 | of a premarital inventory may be a part of a premarital |
| 11 | preparation course; providing a definition; providing an |
| 12 | effective date. |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 15 |
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| 16 | Section 1. Subsections (4) and (5) of section 741.01, |
| 17 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 18 | 741.01 County court judge or clerk of the circuit court to |
| 19 | issue marriage license; fee.-- |
| 20 | (4) An Additional fees fee of $25 shall be paid to the |
| 21 | clerk upon receipt of the application for issuance of a marriage |
| 22 | license and. The moneys collected shall be remitted by the clerk |
| 23 | to the Department of Revenue, monthly, as follows: |
| 24 | (a) Twenty-five dollars for deposit in the General Revenue |
| 25 | Fund. |
| 26 | (b) One hundred dollars for deposit in the Marriage |
| 27 | Education Trust Fund. |
| 28 | (5) The fee charged for each marriage license issued in |
| 29 | the state shall be reduced by a sum of $132.50 $32.50 for all |
| 30 | couples who present valid certificates of completion of a |
| 31 | premarital preparation course from a qualified course provider |
| 32 | registered under s. 741.0305(5) for a course taken no more than |
| 33 | 1 year prior to the date of application for a marriage license. |
| 34 | For each license issued that is subject to the fee reduction of |
| 35 | this subsection, the clerk is not required to transfer the sum |
| 36 | of $7.50 to the Department of Revenue for deposit in the |
| 37 | Displaced Homemaker Trust Fund pursuant to subsection (3), or to |
| 38 | transfer the sum of $25 to the Department of Revenue for deposit |
| 39 | in the General Revenue Fund, or to transfer the sum of $100 to |
| 40 | the Department of Revenue for deposit in the Marriage Education |
| 41 | Trust Fund. |
| 42 | Section 2. Section 741.011, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 43 | to read: |
| 44 | 741.011 Installment payments.--An applicant for a marriage |
| 45 | license who is unable to pay the fees required under s. 741.01 |
| 46 | in a lump sum may make payment in not more than three |
| 47 | installments over a period of 90 days. The clerk shall accept |
| 48 | installment payments upon receipt of an affidavit that the |
| 49 | applicant is unable to pay the fees in a lump-sum payment. Upon |
| 50 | receipt of the third or final installment payment, the marriage |
| 51 | license application shall be deemed filed, and the clerk shall |
| 52 | issue the marriage license to the applicant and distribute the |
| 53 | fees as provided in s. 741.01. In the event that the marriage |
| 54 | license fee is paid in installments, the clerk shall retain $1 |
| 55 | from the additional fees fee imposed pursuant to s. 741.01(4), |
| 56 | divided equally among them, as a processing fee. |
| 57 | Section 3. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 741.0305, |
| 58 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 59 | 741.0305 Marriage fee reduction for completion of |
| 60 | premarital preparation course.-- |
| 61 | (1) A man and a woman who intend to apply for a marriage |
| 62 | license under s. 741.04 may, together or separately, complete a |
| 63 | premarital preparation course of not less than 8 4 hours. Each |
| 64 | individual shall verify completion of the course by filing with |
| 65 | the application a valid certificate of completion from the |
| 66 | course provider, which certificate shall specify whether the |
| 67 | course was completed by personal instruction, videotape |
| 68 | instruction, instruction via other electronic medium, or a |
| 69 | combination of those methods. All individuals who complete a |
| 70 | premarital preparation course pursuant to this section must be |
| 71 | issued a certificate of completion at the conclusion of the |
| 72 | course by their course provider. Upon furnishing such |
| 73 | certificate when applying for a marriage license, the |
| 74 | individuals shall have their marriage license fee reduced by |
| 75 | $132.50 $32.50. |
| 76 | (2)(a) The premarital preparation course may include use |
| 77 | of a premarital inventory and include instruction regarding: |
| 78 | 1.(a) Conflict management. |
| 79 | 2.(b) Communication skills. |
| 80 | 3.(c) Financial responsibilities. |
| 81 | 4.(d) Children and parenting responsibilities. |
| 82 | 5.(e) Data compiled from available information relating to |
| 83 | problems reported by married couples who seek marital or |
| 84 | individual counseling. |
| 85 | (b) For purposes of this subsection, the term "premarital |
| 86 | inventory" means a survey or questionnaire that a couple can |
| 87 | take that can be scored or evaluated or both and addresses |
| 88 | issues such as communication, conflict resolution, personality |
| 89 | types, marriage expectations, family of origin, children and |
| 90 | parenting, and financial habits. Some premarital inventories |
| 91 | also offer customized versions for couples who have been married |
| 92 | before and couples with children from prior marriages. The |
| 93 | purpose of a premarital inventory is to help couples better |
| 94 | understand each other, understand each other's expectations in |
| 95 | marriage, understand the common reasons for divorce, and |
| 96 | discover potential problems that might develop in their marriage |
| 97 | before they enter the relationship. |
| 98 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2009. |