LEGISLATION LIMITS NO FAULT
 
DIVORCE


 
   Five members of the Texas House are co-sponsoring HB 323 
which would halt "divorce on demand" in Texas and establish 
conditions for obtaining a divorce.     Rep. Arlene Wohlgemuth, 
one of the sponsors, observed that women and children are hurt 
the most by the state's current divorce laws.  In 1995, she said, 
97,183 divorces were granted in Texas and more than 90,000 
children were affected.  Also ine Dept. of Human Services 
estimated 96 percent of families on AFDC consisted of a female 
and minor children.     The bill limits nofault divorces to situations 
in which both parties consent and there are no minor children 
involved.  In addition, a one year waiting period is 
required.     Rep. Leticia Van de Putte (D-San Antonio) cited her 
experience with children and said too many children grow up 
without the benefits of two parents.  Rep. Charles Howard (R-
Sugar Land) said married people have a responsibility to each 
other and to their children who "need their fathers."
   Wohlgemuth said that by eliminating divorce as an easy avenue 
out of a relationship, the bill will encourage the resolution of 
marital problems.  Since divorce on demand began in Texas in 
1970, she said, the number of divorces per year has almost 
doubled.  Howard reported that according to the National Institute 
for Healthcare Research, studies show that children of divorced 
parents are more likely to drop out of high school, exhibit problem 
behavior and require treatment for mental 
health problems.  Some 75 percent of pregnant teens and 75 
percent of adolescent substance abusers in treatment centers are 
from single parent homes, and 50 percent of single mothers live in 
poverty, Howard said.