SLS 22RS-3128 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 73
BY SENATOR MIZELL
COUNSELING/GUIDANCE. Extends the term of the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage
and Incentives for Premarital Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To extend the term of the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage and Incentives for Premarital
3 Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling that was created to study the benefits of
4 marriage and the possible incentives to promote premarital counseling and
5 pre-divorce counseling and to make policy recommendations to the legislature.
6 WHEREAS, pursuant to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 107 of the 2019 Regular
7 Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the legislature created the Task Force on Benefits of
8 Marriage and Incentives for Premarital Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling to conduct
9 a study of the issues related to the benefits of marriage on individual men, women, and
10 children, and on society as a whole, to study the impact that incentives for premarital and
11 pre-divorce counseling have on the reduction of divorce, and to make policy
12 recommendations to the legislature regarding legislation that the task force may deem
13 appropriate to address the issues studied by the task force; and
14 WHEREAS, the term of the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage and Incentives for
15 Premarital Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling is extended to study the effectiveness
16 of premarital counseling and educational programs and related legislation in other states for
17 the purpose of implementing such programs in Louisiana; and
18 WHEREAS, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission offers the Healthy
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1 Marriage Program which provides voluntary marriage, premarital, and relationship education
2 skills; and
3 WHEREAS, Texas law codifies premarital education courses which include
4 instruction in conflict management, communication skills, and the key components of a
5 successful marriage; and
6 WHEREAS, The Marriage Relationship title of the Texas laws governing marriage
7 incorporates experts from various sectors of society including marriage educators, clergy,
8 licensed mental health professionals, faith-based organizations, and community-based
9 organizations; and
10 WHEREAS, the curricula of a premarital education course pursuant to Texas law,
11 must provide the skills-based and research-based curricula of the United States Department
12 of Health and Human Services healthy marriage initiative, the National Healthy Marriage
13 Resource Center, criteria developed by the Health and Human Services Commission, or
14 other similar resources; and
15 WHEREAS, the study of marriage relationship laws and programs which have
16 proven to be successful in other states for the purpose of implementing similar programs and
17 introducing similar legislation in Louisiana, would promote the benefits of marriage and the
18 incentives of premarital counseling and pre-divorce counseling to further the goal of
19 increasing marriage success and reducing the rate of divorce in this state.
20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
21 extend the term of the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage and Incentives for Premarital
22 Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling to study the effectiveness of premarital counseling,
23 marriage and relationship educational programs and related legislation in other states for the
24 purpose of implementing such programs and introducing similar legislation in Louisiana, and
25 to make policy recommendations, together with specific proposals for legislation, no later
26 than December 30, 2022.
27 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the same members
28 as listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 107 of the 2019 Regular Session of the
29 Louisiana Legislature.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that task force members shall serve without
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1 compensation or reimbursement of expenses, other than what may be afforded by the
2 member's appointing authority; legislative members of the task force shall receive the same
3 per diem and reimbursement of travel expenses as provided for attendance at legislative
4 committee meetings under the rules of the respective house in which they serve.
5 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the names of the appointees and their designees
6 to the task force shall be submitted to the Senate Select Committee on Women and Children
7 by August 15, 2022.
8 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the membership of the task force
9 constitutes a quorum and, if all task force members have not been appointed by
10 September 1, 2022, a majority of the appointed membership shall constitute a quorum.
11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than December 30, 2022, the task force
12 shall prepare a written report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature.
13 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage and
14 Incentives for Premarital Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling shall be abolished on
15 January 2, 2023.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Lebra R. Bias.
DIGEST
SCR 73 Original 2022 Regular Session Mizell
Extends the term of the Task Force on Benefits of Marriage and Incentives for Premarital
Counseling and Pre-Divorce Counseling.
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