This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A measure that would require couples to wait 90 days before a divorce hearing passed the Senate late Thursday night, but not before a Republican senator tried a last-minute bid to extend the waiting period to 120 days.

Rep. Val Peterson, R-Orem, proposed HB316 in an attempt to restore the so-called "cooling-off" period that would give married couples looking into divorce a chance to reconsider their options.

The 90-day wait period passed the Senate 24-5. It already passed the House and now goes to the governor.

HB316 would allow the court discretion in cases of abuse where the waiting period would be waived.

dmontero@sltrib.comTwitter: @davemontero