Public Act 578 of 2006

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• Introduced by Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom (R) on March 1, 2006, to increase the cost of a marriage license from $20 to $50, and use the extra money to upgrade county record storage "technology." The non-resident surcharge would rise from $10 to $20. Also, to allow marriage license applications to be submitted electronically, subject to an additional $10 fee. The bill provides that a marriage license application would be a nonpublic record and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, but would have be available to the people named in it.
  • Referred to the Senate Local, Urban, & State Affairs Committee on March 1, 2006.
    • Reported in the Senate on May 9, 2006, with the recommendation that the substitute (S-1) be adopted and that the bill then pass.
  • Substitute offered in the Senate on May 10, 2006, to replace the previous version of the bill with one that does not increase marriage license fees. The substitute passed by voice vote in the Senate on May 10, 2006.
• Passed 37 to 0 in the Senate on May 11, 2006, to allow for electronically-submitted marriage license applications. The county clerk accepted would have to print the required application in the form of an affidavit and have a party named in the application sign it in person. The bill provides that a marriage license application would be a nonpublic record and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, but would have be available to the people named in it. The bill also allows a county clerk to charge a fee if the the license is delivered immediately. Under current law, a marriage license may not be delivered for three days, although a county clerk, for good cause shown, may deliver the license immediately.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Received in the House on May 11, 2006.
  • Referred to the House Local Government and Urban Policy Committee on May 11, 2006.
    • Reported in the House on December 5, 2006, without amendment and with the recommendation that the bill pass.
• Passed 77 to 29 in the House on December 14, 2006, to allow for electronically-submitted marriage license applications. The county clerk accepted would have to print the required application in the form of an affidavit and have a party named in the application sign it in person. The bill provides that a marriage license application would be a nonpublic record and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, but would have be available to the people named in it. The bill also allows a county clerk to charge a fee if the license is delivered immediately. Under current law, a marriage license may not be delivered for three days, although a county clerk, for good cause shown, may deliver the license immediately.
  Who Voted "Yes" and Who Voted "No"
• Signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm on December 30, 2006.