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DENVER — A ballot initiative in Colorado would require couples to complete up to 30 hours of marriage education classes before their nuptial ceremony.
If the Colorado initiative is signed off by the 86,000-plus required individuals by the Aug. 4 deadline, the state could create a bill that would require first-time brides and grooms to attend 10 hours of marriage education, second-timers would complete 20 and those seeking marital bliss for a third time would need to attend 30 hours, according to the Denver Post.
The program would be overseen by the Colorado State Board of Marriage and Family Therapist Examiners, which would issue a certificate for completion.
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The pro-active course is not a new idea, but Colorado would be the first state to require the education classes.
In Utah, Rep. Jim Nielsen, R-Bountiful, aims to require a divorce initiation class at the beginning – currently, the law requires it occur within 60 days of filing – of the divorce process. He has proposed legislation that would require proof of class attendance before filing a petition for divorce with the court.
