HB1200--THEAGEOFMARRIAGE
SPONSOR: Reuter
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
ChildrenandFamiliesbyavoteof15to0.
Currently,amarriagelicensecannotbeissuedinMissourifor
individualsunder16yearsofageorissuedwhenonepartytothe
marriageisunder18yearsofageandtheotherpartyisover21
yearsofage.Additionally,nomarriagelicensecanbeissuedif
anypartytothemarriageisunder18yearsofagewithoutparental
consent.
Thisbillrepealsthoseprovisionssonomarriagelicensecanbe
issuedinMissouriforindividualsunder18yearsofage.
ThisbillissimilartoHB484(2025),HB2709,andSCSSB767
(2024).
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatcurrentlyoneparentcanentera
16or17yearoldintomarriage,butthereisnoinputrequired
fromtheminor,noristhererecourseforaminorwhodoesnotwant
to.Missouripreviouslyallowedachildofanyagetobeentered
intomarriage. Beforethe2018billpassed,88%ofminorswho
marriedwereage16or17.282minorsweremarriedbetween2019
and2022,theratebarelydroppingbecausethe2018lawdidnot
addressthevastmajorityofpersonsimpactedbychildmarriage.
Thetraffickingpieceisimportant. Minorsarebeingtrafficked
undertheguiseofmarriage,withmostlygirlsbeingmarriedto
adultmen.Additionally,sheltersarenotconfidentialorrequire
parentalconsent.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Reuter;
UnchainedAtLast;BrandiDredge;HollyThompsonRehder;Sheena
Eastburn;MicheleHanash,AHAFoundation;SheenaEastburn,
UnchainedAtLast;MatthewHuffman,MissouriCoalitionAgainst
DomesticAndSexualViolence;ArnieC.Dienoff;NetworkAgainst
ChildAbuse;andMissouriNetworkAgainstChildAbuse.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.