(Preliminary Report of State Policies to Promote Marriage, 2002
Full Report: http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/marriage02/marr-rpt.htm )

Exhibit 2: States That Have Proposed or Enacted Policies to Promote Marriage
Activity	Definition	States with Activities (Law or Bill)
COMMISSIONS AND CAMPAIGNS
State Campaigns	Media campaigns to promote marriage and curb divorce rates.	AZ, AR, NM, OK
Commissions	Summits that focus on strengthening marriage; commissions charged with implementing specific policies.	AZ, LA, MI, SC, UT
Proclamations	Statements recognizing the importance of marriage as a public good and foundation of healthy families.	LA, NC, UT
DIVORCE LAWS/PROCEDURES
Modifications to No-fault Laws	Laws that make divorce more difficult by requiring mutual consent.	AZ, CA, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, MA, MI, MN, MO, NH, NJ, TX, VA, WA, WV
Covenant Marriage	Typically requires pre-marital counseling, an agreement to seek additional counseling if marital problems arise, and 2-year waiting period for divorce.	AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, GA, IN, IA, KS, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, OH, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI
Mandatory Education	Education for couples with children on the effects of divorce on children.	AK, AZ, AR, CO, CT, FL, HI, IL, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NM, PA, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WI
Presumption of Joint Legal Custody	States that have a presumption or strong preference in favor of joint legal custody.	47 States^(56)
Waiting Periods before Divorce	Minimum periods between date of filing for divorce and date court grants divorce.	AL, AZ, AR, CA, GA, IL, IN, IA, LA, MA, MO, NE, OK, OR, SC, TN, TX, UT, VT, WA, WY
Different Laws for Couples with Children	Laws that treat couples with children differently, such as mandatory education, no-fault modifications or increased waiting periods.	AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, HI, IL, IA, KS, KY, MD, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NH, NM, OK, PA, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI
Mediation Initiatives	Mediation, offered through the courts, generally addresses custody and visitation issues.	CA, DC, IA, KS, MO, NM, UT, WI
MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIP PREPARATION AND EDUCATION
Incentives for Marriage Preparation	Activities, such as license fee reductions, for those who participate in education or counseling.	AZ, AK, FL, IL, IA, MD, MI, MN, NM, OK, SD, TN
State Funding for Marriage Support	Use of TANF or other funds to encourage couples to participate in marriage preparation activities.	AZ, MI, OK, TX, UT, WI
Marriage Education for Adults	Suggested or required education, often within the context of license fee reductions, marriage waiting period reductions.	AK, AZ, CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MN, MS, NM, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI
Remarriage Waiting Periods	Minimum time must elapse between the date a divorce is granted and filing for remarriage.	AL, OK, TX, WI
STATE TAXES
State EITC	The federal Earned Income Tax Credit reduces federal taxes and provides a wage supplement for low-income working families. States have enacted EITCs to reduce the burden of state taxes on working families.	CO, DC, IL, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MN, NJ, NY, OK, OR, RI, VT, WI
Tax Threshold for Families	For the 43 states with an income tax, the income threshold at which married-couple families begin paying taxes is higher than the threshold at which single-parent families begin paying.	39 states^(57)
State Marriage Penalty	States either do not have a flat tax (regardless of income of filing status); tax brackets for married couples are not double the size of brackets for individual filers; married couples cannot pay taxes on separate incomes as if single.	GA, KS, ME, MD, MN, NE, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, Oh, OK, OR, RI, SD, VT, WV, WI

TRANSFER POLICIES
Medicaid Eligibility Based Solely on Financial Circumstances	States cover two-parent families to the same extent as single-parent families by eliminating the recent work history and “100-hour” rules.	36 States^(58)
Medicaid Eligibility, Expanded Disregards	States have increased income and asset disregards and increased coverage through Section 1115 waivers.	AZ, CA, DE, DC, HI, ME, MN, MO, MT, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, TN, VT, WA, WI, WY.
Medicaid Eligibility, Pregnant Women	Raise the income eligibility for pregnant women above 185 percent of poverty.	AK, CA, DE, DC, GA, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MN, RI, VT
Expanded Health Care Coverage, Two-parent Families.	States cover parents through state-funded programs or CHIP.	AZ, CA, MN, NJ, RI, WI
TANF Eligibility, Two-parent Families	Elimination of the work history and 100-hour rules.	AL, AK, AR, CO, CT, DE, FL. HI, ID, IL, IA, KS, LA, MD, MI, MN, MT, NE, NV, NJ, MN, NY, NC, OH, RI, SC, TX, UT, VT, VA, WV, WI, WY
Marriage Incentives, TANF	States can disregard income of a new spouse for specified time, provide an incentive payment to monthly benefit, offer child care/health benefits to low-income mothers who marry.	AL, ME, MN, MS, NJ, ND, OK, TN, WA, WV
Marriage Promotion, TANF	State workers actively promote marriage to TANF participants.	OK
Child Support Arrearage Forgiveness	Child support arrearages owed to the state by non-custodial parents are forgiven if parents reunite.	TN, VT
STATE-LEVEL VITAL STATISTICS
Marriage Data		31 States
Divorce Data		29 States
Improvement Efforts		AL, GA, HI, IA, NJ, OK, VT
MARRIAGE SUPPORT AND PROMOTION
Home Visitation Programs	A nurse or other professional is sent into the home of targeted families to offer numerous services including marriage or relationships education or skills	HI, NC, OK, UT,
Mentoring, Education, and Counseling	Programs that aim to strengthen families, including communications skills, anger management, mentoring of at-risk families.	AL, AZ, MI, OK, OR, UT
Fatherhood Programs	States are seeking to reunify families by incorporating a marriage component into statewide fatherhood initiatives.	FL, MS, PA, TX, VA
YOUTH EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT
School-based Marriage Education	Statewide marriage education in schools.	AZ, FL, NH, NM, PA, SC, SD, UT, WI
Abstinence-until-marriage Education	States include the message as part of sex education programs, Title V Section 510 programs enacted as part of the 1996 welfare reform law, and as media campaigns.	AL, AZ, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, MT, NE, NC, OK, OR, SC, TN, VA
SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
Professional Development	State regulates marriage and family therapists	44 States^(59)
Respite Programs for Parents of Children with Disabilities	Statewide programs that offer family support services such as day care and counseling.	43 States^(60)
Programs for Incarcerated Parents	Statewide programs target both men and women leaving prison for parenting and family reunification services.	AR, CT, DC, FL, ID, PA