Marriages; providing for covenant marriages; effective date.
Impact
The bill will modify how Oklahoma law handles marriage and divorce by setting distinct grounds for divorce specific to covenant marriages, including adultery, felony convictions, and situations involving abuse. Importantly, a covenant marriage does not permit easy divorce as is commonly practiced; instead, couples must demonstrate efforts toward reconciliation and prove that they pursued counseling. This change in legislation could lead to fewer divorces among couples in covenant marriages, as it emphasizes commitment and resolution through counseling before dissolution of the marriage.
Summary
House Bill 1668 proposes the establishment of covenant marriages in Oklahoma, aiming to enhance the commitment involved in marriages by adding a layer of counseling and bequeathing lifelong obligations to couples who choose this type of union. To initiate a covenant marriage, couples must declare their intent when applying for a marriage license and undergo premarital counseling that focuses on the responsibilities and nature of marriage. This bill amends existing marriage laws to include specific provisions and requirements for couples opting for covenant marriages, such as a notarized affidavit confirming completion of counseling.
Contention
While proponents argue that covenant marriages create a stronger societal foundation by ensuring that couples are better prepared for the challenges of marital life, critics raise concerns about the potential implications for personal freedoms, suggesting that such requirements may overly complicate an already difficult process. There are fears that the bill may also create disparities in how marriages are legally perceived, potentially leading to stigmatization of traditional marriages in comparison to covenant marriages.
Covenant marriage; creating the Covenant Marriage Act of Oklahoma; establishing requirements for entering covenant marriage; providing tax credit for covenant marriage. Effective date. Emergency.
Property; prohibiting certain ownership of land through business entity or trust; modifying exception to certain ownership requirements; effective date.
Central purchasing; requiring certain vendors to submit certain information with competitive bid; directing Office of Management and Enterprise Services to conduct annual audits of certain vendors. Effective date.