By:  Bosse                                            H.B. No. 1593
       73R6134 JMM-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to proceedings to prove certain informal marriages.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Section 1.91, Family Code, is amended to read as
    1-5  follows:
    1-6        Sec. 1.91.  Proof of Certain Informal Marriages.  <(a)>  In
    1-7  any judicial, administrative, or other proceeding, the marriage of
    1-8  a man and woman may be proved by evidence that:
    1-9              (1)  a declaration of their marriage has been executed
   1-10  under Section 1.92 of this code; or
   1-11              (2)  they agreed to be married, and after the agreement
   1-12  they lived together in this state as husband and wife and there
   1-13  represented to others that they were married.
   1-14        <(b)  A proceeding in which a marriage is to be proved under
   1-15  this section must be commenced not later than one year after the
   1-16  date on which the relationship ended or not later than one year
   1-17  after September 1, 1989, whichever is later.>
   1-18        SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1993, and
   1-19  applies to a proceeding commenced to prove a marriage based on a
   1-20  relationship that ended on or after September 1, 1992.  A
   1-21  proceeding to prove a marriage based on a relationship that ended
   1-22  before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the
   1-23  relationship ended, and the former law is continued in effect for
   1-24  that purpose.
    2-1        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-2  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-3  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-4  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-5  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.