Missouri – On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, the Missouri Senate gave the initial approval for a new legislation that will ban child marriage in the state of Missouri. Current law states that it is legal for children, ages 16 and 17, to get married if they have parental approval/consent. This legislation would make it so that no person under the age of 18 years would be allowed to get married with or without parental consent.
On Wednesday, the Senate made the final changes to the bill. Senator Holly Thompson Rehedar added legislation that would modify fees in divorce proceedings making it so that the person who fails to abide by the court orders in the divorce would be the person to pay for the costs of returning to court. Senator Brattin added an amendment to the bill stating sheriffs and other law enforcement officials “shall” and are required to enforce the rights of custody or visitation agreements after a divorce. Current laws state that officials “may”, meaning they don’t have to, enforce those rights. The last amendment added to the child marriage bill was by Senator Lauren Arthur, she added that judges will have the right to add considerations when determining child custody. This includes the child’s emotional, physical, and educational needs.
The legislation was passed through to the House on April 11, 2024. If Missouri passes this bill it would become the 13th state to ban child marriage. The states that have it banned are Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, Vermont, Washington, and Virginia.
The above bill must still pass through the House and be read by the governor before it can become law. The estimated time of enforcement, if the bill stays on track, is August 28, 2024. For more information on the bill click here.
