Washington House unanimously approves bill that would ban child marriages

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Washington could become the 11th U.S. state to ban child marriages.

Under current state law, Washington residents who are 17 years old are eligible for marriage as long as they have parental consent. Younger residents are also eligible with judge approval and if it is deemed a “necessity” for one of the parties.

But on Monday, the first day of the legislative session, the House of Representatives unanimously voted in favor of House Bill 1455. The measure makes it so marriage is illegal for anyone under 18 years old.

Democratic Rep. Monica Stonier, who represents East Vancouver and other parts of Clark County, is the bill’s chief sponsor.

“This is important because young people who are married before they are legal adults do not have access to the full range of legal services, counseling therapy [or] financial support if they might need if they were in a coercive and abusive relationship, especially in a marriage when they are legally bound,” Rep. Stonier said.

“What this bill does is it acknowledges that minor children cannot consent to all of life's choices, and that the state has a role in protecting, and yes, holding in reverence their childhood,” Republican Rep. Jim Walsh added.

The Senate is next to weigh in on whether child marriages should be prohibited in Washington.

According to Unchained At Last, a nonprofit focused on ending child marriages, there are only 10 other states with similar laws: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Michigan.

Within the U.S., the organization reported that 300,000 children were wed between 2000 and 2019. The data show that most were 16 or 17 years of age, but a few were as young as 10.

Unchained At Last also said that child marriage is more common among young girls than it is for boys.