Covenant Marriage (Senate Bill 172) 

This bill is meant to promote marriage as the social good it is, strengthen Hoosier marriages and prevent divorce.   It would create a separate marriage option for couples who are eligible to apply for a marriage license under Indiana law. 

If covenant marriage was made state law, when a couple goes to their county courthouse to apply for a marriage license, they would have two options.  They could either apply for the regular marriage license that has always been available, or they could apply for a covenant marriage license.  In order to be eligible to apply for a covenant marriage license, they would have to go through at least 4 hours of pre-marital counseling. 

Additionally, couples would have to agree that they will go through additional marital counseling if marital difficulties arise during the course of their marriage.  Finally, this bill would allow a judge the discretion to require that a covenant marriage couple go through additional counseling before the judge will grant a divorce (the same discretion a judge already has within state law if a couple has minor children and seeks a divorce). 

Additional Resources
Covenant Marriage flyer
Frequently Asked Questions