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2023 - 2024 LEGISLATURE
ASSEMBLY SUBSTITUTE AMENDMENT 1,
TO ASSEMBLY BILL 291
October 3, 2023 - Offered by Representative Duchow.
AB291-ASA1,1,6 1An Act to repeal 765.03 (2), 765.09 (1) (b), 765.21 (2) and 767.401 (1) (d); to
2renumber
765.03 (1) and 765.09 (1) (a); to renumber and amend 767.401 (1)
3(a); to consolidate, renumber and amend 765.21 (intro.) and (1); to amend
4765.03 (title), 767.35 (3) and 767.401 (1) (b); and to create 767.401 (1) (a) 2. and
53. of the statutes; relating to: waiting period for marriage after divorce
6judgment and mandatory parenting classes.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill eliminates the prohibition against a person marrying for six months
after the grant of that person's judgment of divorce. Under current law, a person who
was married and party to a divorce action in this or another state may not marry
again until six months after a judgment of divorce is granted. This bill eliminates
the waiting period.
Also, under current law, in an action affecting the family in which a minor child
is involved, a court may order one or both of the parties to attend parenting classes
if the court determines that it is appropriate and in the best interest of the child. The
bill requires the parties to attend parenting classes in an action affecting the family,
other than a paternity action, in which a minor child is involved. Under the bill, a

court may waive this requirement for good cause or if a parent has attended a
parenting class during the course of the action affecting the family or has attended
a parenting class within the six months preceding the filing of the action.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB291-ASA1,1 1Section 1 . 765.03 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB291-ASA1,2,2 2765.03 (title) Who shall not marry ; divorced persons.
AB291-ASA1,2 3Section 2 . 765.03 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 765.03.
AB291-ASA1,3 4Section 3 . 765.03 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
AB291-ASA1,4 5Section 4 . 765.09 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 765.09 (1).
AB291-ASA1,5 6Section 5 . 765.09 (1) (b) of the statutes is repealed.
AB291-ASA1,6 7Section 6 . 765.21 (intro.) and (1) of the statutes are consolidated, renumbered
8765.21 and amended to read:
AB291-ASA1,2,13 9765.21 Unlawful marriages void; validation. All marriages hereafter
10contracted in violation of ss. 765.02, 765.03, 765.04, and 765.16 shall be void, except
11as provided in ss. 765.22 and 765.23. The parties to any such marriage may validate
12the marriage by complying with the requirements of ss. 765.02 to 765.24 as follows:
13(1) At at any time, if the marriage is declared void under s. 765.02 or 765.16.
AB291-ASA1,7 14Section 7 . 765.21 (2) of the statutes is repealed.
AB291-ASA1,8 15Section 8 . 767.35 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB291-ASA1,3,216 767.35 (3) When divorce judgment effective. A judgment of divorce is
17effective when granted. A court granting a judgment of divorce shall inform the
18parties appearing in court that the judgment is effective when granted but that it is
19unlawful under s. 765.03 (2) for a party to marry again until 6 months after the

1judgment is granted.
This section does not prevent application of enforceable orders
2prior to the divorce judgment as set forth in s. 767.333.
AB291-ASA1,9 3Section 9 . 767.401 (1) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 767.401 (1) (a) 1. and
4amended to read:
AB291-ASA1,3,115 767.401 (1) (a) 1. During the pendency of Except as provided under subd. 4. and
6par. (b), no later than 60 days after service of the summons and petition upon the
7respondent or no later than 60 days after filing the joint petition initiating
an action
8affecting the family in which a minor child is involved and in which the court
9determines that it is appropriate and in the best interest of the child, the court, on
10its own motion, may order
, the parties to shall attend a program specified by the court
11concerning the effects on a child of a dissolution of the marriage.
AB291-ASA1,3,16 124. If the court orders the parties to attend a program under this paragraph and
13there is evidence that one or both of the parties have engaged in interspousal battery,
14as described in s. 940.19 or 940.20 (1m), or domestic abuse, as defined in s. 813.12
15(1) (am), the court may not require the parties to attend the program under subd. 1.
16together or at the same time.
AB291-ASA1,10 17Section 10 . 767.401 (1) (a) 2. and 3. of the statutes are created to read:
AB291-ASA1,3,2018 767.401 (1) (a) 2. Notwithstanding s. 767.35 (1), and except as provided under
19subd. 3., the court shall require attendance at a program under subd. 1. as a condition
20to the granting of a final judgment or order in the action affecting the family.
AB291-ASA1,3,2221 3. The court may waive the requirement for a party to attend a program under
22subd. 1. for good cause or if the court finds that any of the following applies:
AB291-ASA1,4,223 a. The party completed a program that satisfies the requirements of subd. 1.
24no more than 6 months prior to service of the summons and petition upon the

1respondent or no more than 6 months prior to the filing of a joint petition initiating
2an action affecting the family.
AB291-ASA1,4,53 b. The current action is to enforce or modify an order or judgment in an action
4affecting the family for which the party has previously attended a program under
5subd. 1.
AB291-ASA1,11 6Section 11 . 767.401 (1) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB291-ASA1,4,147 767.401 (1) (b) During the pendency of an action to determine the paternity of
8a child, or an action affecting the family for which the underlying action was an
9action to determine the paternity of a child, if the court determines that it is
10appropriate and in the best interest of the child, the court, on its own motion, may
11order either or both of the parties to attend a program specified by the court providing
12training in parenting or coparenting skills, or both. The court may require
13attendance in a program under this paragraph as a condition to the granting of a
14final judgment or order.
AB291-ASA1,12 15Section 12 . 767.401 (1) (d) of the statutes is repealed.
AB291-ASA1,13 16Section 13 . Initial applicability.
AB291-ASA1,4,1917 (1) The treatment of s. 767.401 (1) (b) and (d), the renumbering and amendment
18of s. 767.401 (1) (a), and the creation of s. 767.401 (1) (a) 2. and 3. first apply to an
19action affecting the family filed on the effective date of this subsection.
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