BILL ANALYSIS H.B. 168 By: Rosenthal Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 girls and boys under the age of 18 were legally married in the United States and 41,774 of those marriages were in Texas. Although child marriage is generally prohibited in Texas, there is still an exception to this prohibition for children who have the disabilities of minority removed by a court order. H.B. 168 seeks to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license if either applicant is under the age of 18, regardless of whether the applicant had the disabilities of minority for general purposes removed by a court. Further, the bill seeks to establish that a marriage where one of the parties is under the age of 18 is void. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS H.B. 168 amends the Family Code to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license to a person younger than 18 years of age and to establish that a marriage is void if either party to the marriage is younger than 18 years of age, regardless of whether a court order removing the disabilities of minority of the party for general purposes has been obtained in Texas or in another state. H.B. 168 repeals Section 2.003, Family Code. H.B. 168 applies only to an application for a marriage license filed on or after the bill's effective date and only to a marriage entered into on or after that date. An application filed or a marriage entered into before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was filed or the marriage was entered into, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
H.B. 168
By: Rosenthal
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
H.B. 168
By: Rosenthal
Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 girls and boys under the age of 18 were legally married in the United States and 41,774 of those marriages were in Texas. Although child marriage is generally prohibited in Texas, there is still an exception to this prohibition for children who have the disabilities of minority removed by a court order. H.B. 168 seeks to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license if either applicant is under the age of 18, regardless of whether the applicant had the disabilities of minority for general purposes removed by a court. Further, the bill seeks to establish that a marriage where one of the parties is under the age of 18 is void.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS H.B. 168 amends the Family Code to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license to a person younger than 18 years of age and to establish that a marriage is void if either party to the marriage is younger than 18 years of age, regardless of whether a court order removing the disabilities of minority of the party for general purposes has been obtained in Texas or in another state. H.B. 168 repeals Section 2.003, Family Code. H.B. 168 applies only to an application for a marriage license filed on or after the bill's effective date and only to a marriage entered into on or after that date. An application filed or a marriage entered into before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was filed or the marriage was entered into, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 girls and boys under the age of 18 were legally married in the United States and 41,774 of those marriages were in Texas. Although child marriage is generally prohibited in Texas, there is still an exception to this prohibition for children who have the disabilities of minority removed by a court order.
H.B. 168 seeks to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license if either applicant is under the age of 18, regardless of whether the applicant had the disabilities of minority for general purposes removed by a court. Further, the bill seeks to establish that a marriage where one of the parties is under the age of 18 is void.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
ANALYSIS
H.B. 168 amends the Family Code to prohibit the issuance of a marriage license to a person younger than 18 years of age and to establish that a marriage is void if either party to the marriage is younger than 18 years of age, regardless of whether a court order removing the disabilities of minority of the party for general purposes has been obtained in Texas or in another state.
H.B. 168 repeals Section 2.003, Family Code.
H.B. 168 applies only to an application for a marriage license filed on or after the bill's effective date and only to a marriage entered into on or after that date. An application filed or a marriage entered into before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was filed or the marriage was entered into, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.