S-3526.3
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SENATE BILL 6664
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State of
By Senators
Kastama, Oke, Rasmussen, Carrell, Shin, Benson, Hargrove,
Esser, Jacobsen, Roach, Sheldon and Swecker
Read first time 01/18/2006. Referred to
Committee on Human Services
& Corrections.
1 AN ACT Relating to a pilot program for
family counseling; creating
2 new sections; and making an appropriation.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE
STATE OF
4 NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature
declares that:
5 (1) There is credible evidence that
children of divorce are at
6 greater risk for observable behavior and
adjustment problems; parental
7 divorce has been found to predict unhealthy
behaviors such as smoking,
8 drug use, and poor psychological
adjustment; and children of divorced
9 parents face a greater mortality risk than
people whose parents
10 remained married until they reached age
twenty-one;
11 (2) Strong family relationships result in
stronger communities and
12 place less of a fiscal burden on the
state; and
13 (3) Relationship skills can be learned,
and once learned these
14 skills can facilitate communication and
assist couples in avoiding
15 conflict. In addition, effective
relationship skills are utilized in
16 parenting, the workplace, schools,
neighborhoods, and other
17 relationships.
p. 1 SB 6664
1 NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The
secretary of the department of
2 health shall establish a pilot program to
provide merit checks of no
3 more than one hundred dollars to no more
than four hundred fifty
4 couples who complete a family preparation
course. Matching funds may
5 be used to increase the number of
participants in the pilot program.
6 The pilot program must begin no later than
January 1, 2007, and
7 continue for no more than five years, in a
county with a population
8 between seven hundred twenty thousand and
one million. Under the pilot
9 program, a man and a woman who intend to
apply for a marriage license
10 may, together or separately, complete a
family preparation course of
11 not less than four hours with a family
preparation course provider
12 registered with the clerk of the county.
The county auditor shall
13 provide to couples interested in applying
for a marriage license in the
14 county, or to a qualified instructor,
certificate of completion forms
15 for the family preparation course and
information that includes a brief
16 explanation of the course of required
instruction, the required length
17 of time of the course, and an explanation
of the qualified instructor
18 requirements. Upon applying for a marriage
license, either applicant
19 may verify completion of a family
preparation course by filing with the
20 county auditor a valid certificate of
completion from a registered
21 course provider. Completed forms must
include names and addresses of
22 participants, the name and work address of
the course provider,
23 signatures of participants attesting to
the completion of the required
24 coursework and the required length of
instruction, and the signature of
25 the qualified instructor attesting to
being a qualified instructor and
26 providing the required coursework and time
requirement for the
27 participants.
28 (2) For the purposes of this section, a
family preparation course
29 must include instruction regarding:
30 (a) Conflict management;
31 (b) Communication skills;
32 (c) Financial responsibilities in a
marriage; and
33 (d) Children and parenting
responsibilities.
34 (3) The family preparation course must be
at least four hours in
35 length and must be taken from a qualified
instructor who is a:
36 (a) Licensed psychologist;
37 (b) Certified social worker;
38 (c) Certified marriage and family
therapist;
SB 6664 p. 2
1 (d) Certified mental health counselor;
2 (e) Registered counselor with relevant
training or coursework;
3 (f) Provider designated by a family court
judge or commissioner; or
4 (g) Official representative of a religious
institution, if the
5 representative has relevant training.
6 (4) Any costs of the family preparation
course must be paid by the
7 applicant. Upon receipt of a certificate of
completion by the county
8 auditor, the county auditor shall forward
along with the marriage
9 certificate the individual's name and
address and a copy of the
10 certificate of completion to the
department of health's statistics
11 center for the purposes of issuing merit
checks as provided under this
12 section. The county auditor shall also
send to the department of
13 health's statistics center information on
divorced or annulled couples
14 who had previously participated in a
family preparation course.
15 (5) When the department of health receives
a marriage certificate
16 from the county auditor that includes a
certificate of completion of a
17 family preparation course issued by a
qualified instructor consistent
18 with this section, the department shall,
within sixty days, issue a
19 merit check to the couple, not to exceed
one hundred dollars per
20 married couple.
21 (6) The department of health shall report
to the appropriate
22 committees of the legislature five years
after the completion of the
23 pilot program. The committees shall make
recommendations on whether
24 the program should be initiated statewide
based on the results of the
25 number of participants who are still
married as opposed to the average
26 divorce rate.
27 NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The sum of
forty-five thousand dollars, or
28 as much thereof as may be necessary, is
appropriated for the biennium
29 ending June 30, 2007, from the general
fund to the department of health
30 for the purposes of this act.
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p. 3 SB 6664