Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) introduced House Bill 1455 during the 2023 legislative session. It cleared the house with a vote of 98-0 before stalling in the Senate
OLYMPIA – The Washington House of Representatives started the 2024 session with a major policy win by banning child marriage on day one.
Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver) introduced House Bill 1455 during the 2023 legislative session. It cleared the house with a vote of 98-0 before stalling in the Senate.
Between 2021 and 2022 there were 5,028 minors, some as young as 13, who were married in Washington state.
“Current law allows kids to get married, but if there are problems in the marriage, they can’t file for divorce because they’re not legally an adult.” Rep. Stonier said. “They can’t seek a protection order, either. They’re stuck. That’s not right. It is also not right for a court to grant consent on a minor’s behalf when their rights and safety are at risk.”
Stonier noted the divorce rate of child marriages is 70-80%. That is significantly higher than the 40-50% divorce rate for first marriages in the US.
“Passing this bill on the first day of session gets us one step closer to protecting children from potentially abusive, dangerous, and coercive situations with no legal recourse or way to escape,” said Rep Stonier. “Now it’s time for the Senate to act.”
Information provided by Washington House Democrats.
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