New Hampshire is on the brink of becoming the newest state to ban child marriage, with its state House of Representatives passing a bill that would raise the minimum age to 18 for individuals to get married. Currently, child marriage remains legal in most states, with only 12 states having laws that make the practice illegal. Senate Bill 359, which was passed by lawmakers in New Hampshire, states that no person below the age of 18 shall be able to contract a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such individuals would be null and void. The bill now awaits Governor Chris Sununu’s decision to either sign it into law or veto it.
If Governor Sununu signs the bill, New Hampshire would join the ranks of 11 other states in the northeast that have made child marriage illegal, leaving Maine as the only state in the region where individuals younger than 18 can still get married. These states include Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The movement to end child marriage has gained momentum in recent years, with Delaware becoming the first state to ban the practice in 2018, followed by other states such as Virginia, which just recently passed a law prohibiting child marriage.
While some states like California and Oklahoma still allow individuals of any age to get married, others have set minimum age requirements ranging from 16 to 17. A handful of states, including Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and Tennessee, have raised the minimum marrying age to 17. However, in Kansas, individuals as young as 15 can legally get married. New Hampshire State Representative Cassandra Levesque, a Democrat who has been a strong advocate for raising the minimum marriage age, expressed gratitude for the passage of the bill and the support she received from others in the fight against child marriage.
Despite the progress, the bill faced opposition from some lawmakers in New Hampshire, with Republican state Representative Jess Edwards suggesting that banning marriage for individuals under 18 could make abortion more appealing for young people. However, the bill passed with a margin of 192-174 in favor of raising the minimum marriage age to 18. Child marriage survivor Jen has been vocal about her experience and has been calling for an end to the practice not only in Massachusetts but across the U.S. as well. As the bill now heads to Governor Sununu’s desk for his decision, the movement to end child marriage continues to push for legislative changes in states where the practice remains legal.
