bill making marriage forms gender-neutral

The text as introduced · 824 words

89R9481 MLH-D

By: Hernandez
H.B. No. 1814

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to changes to certain marriage-related forms.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 2.004(b), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) The application form must contain:

(1) a heading entitled "Application for Marriage

License, ____________ County, Texas";

(2) spaces for each applicant's full name, including

the [ woman's maiden ] surname of an applicant intending to change

the applicant's surname as a result of the marriage , address,

social security number, if any, date of birth, and place of birth,

including city, county, and state;

(3) a space for indicating the document tendered by

each applicant as proof of identity and age;

(4) spaces for indicating whether each applicant has

been divorced within the last 30 days;

(5) printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"

or "false" in response to the following statement: "I am not

presently married and the other applicant is not presently

married.";

(6) printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"

or "false" in response to the following statement: "The other

applicant is not related to me as:

(A) an ancestor or descendant, by blood or

adoption;

(B) a brother or sister, of the whole or half

blood or by adoption;

(C) a parent's brother or sister, of the whole or

half blood or by adoption;

(D) a son or daughter of a brother or sister, of

the whole or half blood or by adoption;

(E) a current or former stepchild or stepparent;

or

(F) a son or daughter of a parent's brother or

sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption.";

(7) printed boxes for each applicant to check "true"

or "false" in response to the following statement: "I am not

presently delinquent in the payment of court-ordered child

support.";

(8) a printed oath reading: "I SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR

AFFIRM) THAT THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN IN THIS APPLICATION IS

CORRECT.";

(9) spaces immediately below the printed oath for the

applicants' signatures;

(10) a certificate of the county clerk that:

(A) each applicant made the oath and the date and

place that it was made; or

(B) an applicant did not appear personally but

the prerequisites for the license have been fulfilled as provided

by this chapter;

(11) spaces for indicating the date of the marriage

and the county in which the marriage is performed;

(12) a space for the address to which the applicants

desire the completed license to be mailed; and

(13) a printed box for each applicant to check

indicating that the applicant wishes to make a voluntary

contribution of $5 to promote healthy early childhood by supporting

the Texas Home Visiting Program administered by the Office of Early

Childhood Coordination of the Health and Human Services Commission.

SECTION 2. Section 2.402(b), Family Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) The declaration form must contain:

(1) a heading entitled "Declaration and Registration

of Informal Marriage, ___________ County, Texas";

(2) spaces for each party's full name, including the

[ woman's maiden ] surname of a party intending to change the party's

surname as a result of the marriage , address, date of birth, place

of birth, including city, county, and state, and social security

number, if any;

(3) a space for indicating the type of document

tendered by each party as proof of age and identity;

(4) printed boxes for each party to check "true" or

"false" in response to the following statement: "The other party

is not related to me as:

(A) an ancestor or descendant, by blood or

adoption;

(B) a brother or sister, of the whole or half

blood or by adoption;

(C) a parent's brother or sister, of the whole or

half blood or by adoption;

(D) a son or daughter of a brother or sister, of

the whole or half blood or by adoption;

(E) a current or former stepchild or stepparent;

or

(F) a son or daughter of a parent's brother or

sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption.";

(5) a printed declaration and oath reading: "I

SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, ARE MARRIED TO

EACH OTHER BY VIRTUE OF THE FOLLOWING FACTS: ON OR ABOUT (DATE) WE

AGREED TO BE MARRIED, AND AFTER THAT DATE WE LIVED TOGETHER AS

SPOUSES [ HUSBAND AND WIFE ] AND IN THIS STATE WE REPRESENTED TO

OTHERS THAT WE WERE MARRIED. SINCE THE DATE OF MARRIAGE TO THE

OTHER PARTY I HAVE NOT BEEN MARRIED TO ANY OTHER PERSON. THIS

DECLARATION IS TRUE AND THE INFORMATION IN IT WHICH I HAVE GIVEN IS

CORRECT.";

(6) spaces immediately below the printed declaration

and oath for the parties' signatures; and

(7) a certificate of the county clerk that the parties

made the declaration and oath and the place and date it was made.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.