Davis to Rule on Marriage Fact Bill

A bill sponsored by area Assemblywoman Hannah-Beth Jackson that would require a marriage fact sheet to be distributed to potential brides and grooms before they tie the knot is awaiting the governor’s signature.

Gov. Gray Davis has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the measure, which passed in both houses of the Legislature last week, said Janice Rocco, a spokeswoman for Jackson (D-Santa Barbara).

The law would require California county clerks to offer all those seeking a marriage license a list of the legal principles surrounding matrimony, including information about how the legal bond affects property rights, debt payment, spousal and child support, and pension rights.

Jackson, who worked as a family law attorney before being elected to the Assembly, believes many couples don’t understand the legal implications of a marriage contract before they wed. Davis vetoed a similar bill last fall, saying the warning is unnecessary. However, he said he would support a measure requiring the state to develop a fact sheet but not making its distribution mandatory.

Rocco said Jackson, whose district includes western Ventura County, worked out the language of this year’s bill with the governor’s staff, changing “provided” to “offered,” which she believes alleviated Gray’s concerns about forcing the pamphlet on couples.

The information would be given out along with health information already distributed with the license, Rocco said.

If the bill is signed into law, the Judicial Council of California, an administrative office of the courts, would develop the marriage pamphlet during the next 18 months and distribute it to county clerks throughout the state.