Bills to ban child marriage in Missouri were heard Jan. 29, 2024, in the Senate’s Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence committee (Clara Bates/Missouri Independent).
A bipartisan bill debated in a state Senate committee Monday would ban child marriage in Missouri.
Under current law, 16 and 17-year-olds are allowed to get married with parental consent. Marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older is prohibited.
The legislation discussed Monday afternoon would prohibit issuing marriage licenses to anyone under the age of 18 under any circumstances.
Under the identical bills, co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder of Scott City and Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur of Kansas City, Missouri would join 10 states that have banned child marriage.
Thompson Rehder said she got married when she was 15 years old to her 21-year-old boyfriend.
“And at the time, I was operating in what I thought was an adult mindset…but it was only until much later that I realized at 15 years old, you really don’t have the mental capacity to make those types of decisions,” she said Monday in the state Senate’s Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence committee.