Texas Senate Bill SB911

Texas 2017 - 85th Regular

Caption

Relating to the form of a marriage license and an application for a marriage license.

Impact

The passage of SB911 is expected to simplify the marriage license application process in Texas, making it less cumbersome for applicants. By eliminating the need to include the name of the county clerk on both the licenses and the applications, the bill could help standardize documents across the state, thereby improving consistency. Furthermore, this change may also have implications for how marriage licenses are processed at the county level, potentially affecting clerks' operations while emphasizing efficiency and clarity in the administration of marriage laws.

Summary

SB911, introduced in the Texas Legislature, seeks to modify the form and requirements associated with marriage licenses and their applications. Specifically, the bill amends the Family Code to require that marriage licenses identify the county issuing them without including the name of the county clerk. Additionally, it changes the Health and Safety Code to dictate the format and content of marriage license application forms, mandating that the name of the county clerk is omitted while still requiring the identification of the county where the application is made. The bill aims to streamline the application process and reduce unnecessary information on official documents.

Sentiment

The general sentiment around SB911 appears to be supportive among those who prioritize the simplification of government processes and the modernization of state laws. Stakeholders involved in the legislation have voiced that removing the county clerk's name from documents liberates clerks from unnecessary bureaucratic burdens. However, details on the potential concerns or opposition to the bill are not well-documented, indicating that it likely faced minimal contention during discussions, possibly due to its administrative nature.

Contention

While SB911 may not have stirred significant controversy, the notable point of contention could arise around the implications of reducing the visibility of county clerks' names on marriage-related documents. Some may argue that this could diminish accountability or transparency in the marriage licensing process, while others may view it as an essential step towards decluttering official forms. Nonetheless, the primary objective of the bill seems focused on modernizing the process without significant pushback from the legislative body.