88R7979 AMF-D
 
  By: Manuel, Rose, Morales of Harris, Plesa, H.B. No. 2091
      Hinojosa
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the confidentiality of certain information on a
  marriage license, an application for a marriage license, and a
  declaration of informal marriage.
         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, 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 box for either applicant to check "Yes,
  please keep the identifying information on this form confidential"
  in response to the following statement: "If either applicant named
  on this form is or has been a victim of family violence, dating
  violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking and would
  like the identifying information on this form to be kept
  confidential, check the following box.";
               (9)  a printed oath reading: "I SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR
  AFFIRM) THAT THE INFORMATION I HAVE GIVEN IN THIS APPLICATION IS
  CORRECT.";
               (10) [(9)]  spaces immediately below the printed oath
  for the applicants' signatures;
               (11) [(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;
               (12) [(11)]  spaces for indicating the date of the
  marriage and the county in which the marriage is performed;
               (13) [(12)]  a space for the address to which the
  applicants desire the completed license to be mailed; and
               (14) [(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.  Subchapter A, Chapter 2, Family Code, is amended
  by adding Section 2.011 to read as follows:
         Sec. 2.011.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. If an
  applicant for a marriage license has checked the box described by
  Section 2.004(b)(8), the county clerk may not:
               (1)  publicly publish the personally identifying
  information of either applicant, other than the names of the
  applicants; or
               (2)  release a copy of the application or license that
  includes the personally identifying information of either
  applicant, other than the names of the applicants, to anyone other
  than an applicant named on the license or the applicant's legal
  representative.
         SECTION 3.  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, 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 box for either party to check "Yes,
  please keep the identifying information on this form confidential"
  in response to the following statement: "If either party named on
  this form is or has been a victim of family violence, dating
  violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking and would
  like the identifying information on this form to be kept
  confidential, check the following box.";
               (6)  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
  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.";
               (7) [(6)]  spaces immediately below the printed
  declaration and oath for the parties' signatures; and
               (8) [(7)]  a certificate of the county clerk that the
  parties made the declaration and oath and the place and date it was
  made.
         SECTION 4.  Subchapter E, Chapter 2, Family Code, is amended
  by adding Section 2.406 to read as follows:
         Sec. 2.406.  CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. If a
  party to a declaration of informal marriage has checked the box
  described by Section 2.402(b)(5), the county clerk may not:
               (1)  publicly publish the personally identifying
  information of either party, other than the names of the parties; or
               (2)  release a copy of the declaration that includes
  the personally identifying information of either party, other than
  the names of the parties, to anyone other than a party named on the
  declaration or the party's legal representative.
         SECTION 5.  Section 194.004, Health and Safety Code, is
  amended by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (c) to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this section,
  the  [The] vital statistics unit shall furnish on request any
  information it has on record relating to any marriage, divorce, or
  annulment of marriage.
         (c)  If a party to a marriage has checked the box described by
  Section 2.004(b)(8) or 2.402(b)(5), Family Code, on the marriage
  license application or declaration of informal marriage, as
  applicable, the vital statistics unit may not furnish any
  personally identifying information on record relating to the
  marriage, other than the names of the parties to the marriage, to
  anyone other than a party to the marriage or the party's legal
  representative.
         SECTION 6.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  an application for a marriage license filed, or a declaration of an
  informal marriage executed, as applicable, on or after the
  effective date of this Act.  An application filed or declaration
  executed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
  law in effect on the date the application was filed or the
  declaration was executed, and the former law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.