Bill > SB33

This bill requires couples seeking to marry in Alabama to jointly attend a premarital conflict resolution class starting January 1, 2026, in response to significant domestic violence statistics, including findings that about one in four women and one in seven men experience physical violence by an intimate partner. The legislation mandates that both parties must complete a conflict resolution class and provide verification of attendance when recording their marriage, with the Administrative Office of Courts responsible for establishing the minimum requirements for such classes and developing a verification form. The bill amends existing marriage documentation requirements to include this new class attendance verification as a mandatory element, and the judge of probate must confirm class attendance before recording the marriage. The motivation behind this requirement appears to be reducing domestic violence and helping couples develop communication and conflict management skills before entering marriage, particularly given the alarming statistics about intimate partner violence presented in the bill's findings, which note that over 15 million children in the United States live in households where intimate partner violence has occurred at least once in the past year. The new requirement will become effective on October 1, 2025, giving couples and local authorities time to prepare for the implementation of the premarital conflict resolution class mandate.

Justice

https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/bill-search