SENATE BILL No. 228

 

 

March 24, 2015, Introduced by Senators KNEZEK, WARREN, HERTEL, BIEDA and ANANICH and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1897 PA 180, entitled

 

"An act to provide for the issuance of marriage licenses and

certificates without publicity in certain cases; and to provide

criminal and civil penalties for violation of this act,"

 

by amending section 1 (MCL 551.201), as amended by 1983 PA 199.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. (1) When a person desires to keep the exact date of

 

his or her marriage to a person of the opposite sex a secret, the

 

judge of probate may issue, without publicity, a marriage license

 

to any person making application, under oath, if there is good

 

reason expressed in the application and determined to be sufficient

 

by the judge of probate.

 

     (2) The judge of probate may marry, without publicity, persons

 

under marriageable age, as provided in section 3 of Act No. 128 of

 

the Public Acts of 1887, being section 551.103 of the Michigan

 


Compiled Laws, 1887 PA 128, MCL 551.103, if the application for the

 

license is accompanied by 1 of the following:

 

     (a) A written request of all of the biological or adopting

 

living parents of both parties, and their guardian or guardians if

 

either or both of the parents are dead.

 

     (b) A written request of the parents or guardians of the party

 

under marriageable age if only 1 party to the marriage is under the

 

marriageable age.

 

     (3) If the noncustodial parent has been given notice of the

 

request for consent by personal service or registered mail at his

 

or her last known address and the noncustodial parent fails to

 

enter an objection within 5 days after receipt of notice, then the

 

consent shall be required only of a parent to whom custody of a

 

child has been awarded by a court. The consent shall not be

 

required of a parent confined under sentence in a state or federal

 

penal institution or confined in a mental hospital under

 

adjudication of legal incapacity by a court of competent

 

jurisdiction or upon the return of process by the sheriff of the

 

county in which the parent was last known to reside made not less

 

than 5 nor more than 14 days after issuance of the process

 

certifying that after diligent search the parent cannot be found

 

within the county.

 

     (4) The judge of probate may authorize an order nunc pro tunc

 

regarding the date to appear on the marriage license.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Bill No. 227                                      

 

            of the 98th Legislature is enacted into law.

 


     Enacting section 2. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless Senate Joint Resolution I of the 98th Legislature becomes a

 

part of the state constitution of 1963 as provided in section 1 of

 

article XII of the state constitution of 1963.