Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to marriage, including the grounds for dissolution of marriage
Sponsored by Sen. Jesse Green (R)
Topics:Courts & civil law
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 2, 2026
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 4, 2026
- Stopped: Senate committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: House committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary When people apply for a marriage license, they could choose to sign a paper that limits the reasons they can later get a divorce. If both people sign this waiver, they cannot get a divorce just because the relationship broke down. Instead, they would have to prove specific reasons like abuse, adultery, or living apart for two years to end the marriage.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to marriage, including the grounds for dissolution of marriage. The bill provides that parties applying for a marriage license may also submit a waiver to waive dissolution of marriage based solely on a breakdown of the marriage relationship. The waiver, as prescribed by the judicial branch, must be signed voluntarily by both parties and filed with the county registrar at the time the application for a marriage license is filed. The bill creates grounds for dissolution of marriage for parties who filed a waiver with their marriage license. To dissolve the marriage, a party must provide proof that the other party committed adultery, committed a felony and was sentenced to imprisonment, has abandoned the marriage home for more than a year and refuses to return, has physically or sexually abused the party or a child of one of the parties, or that the parties have been living separately for at least two years. If the parties file a waiver, the waiver is presumed valid unless a party establishes by clear and convincing evidence that the waiver is not executed voluntarily or by fraud, duress, or coercion. The bill makes conforming changes in Code chapter 598 (dissolution of marriage and domestic relations) to reflect the difference in applicable grounds contingent upon whether or not the parties filed a waiver.
Why it matters. People applying for marriage licenses can choose to sign a voluntary waiver that limits the reasons they can later use to end their marriage. If this waiver is filed, a person would have to prove specific grounds such as adultery, felony imprisonment, abandonment, abuse, or two years of living separately to obtain a divorce.2
Senate subcommittee
Named February 4, 2026. On February 9, 2026 it recommended amendment and passage.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
55 written public comments to its subcommittee: February 9, 2026 (55) · on the Legislature’s site