Bill > SB528

This bill aims to end child marriage in Hawaii by raising the minimum age to enter into marriage from sixteen to eighteen years old. The legislation removes the previous provisions that allowed parents or the family court to consent to a minor's marriage, even for individuals as young as fifteen. The bill is based on growing national and international recognition that child marriage is a human rights violation, with data showing that between 2000 and 2015, over 207,000 children under eighteen married in the United States, with girls disproportionately affected and many marrying adult men. The bill aligns Hawaii's marriage laws with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal to end child marriage by 2030 and follows the lead of several other states that have already enacted similar restrictions. By eliminating the ability of minors to marry, the legislation seeks to protect children from potential coercion, trafficking, and marriages that may result from pregnancy or other pressures. The bill makes comprehensive changes to various sections of Hawaii's Revised Statutes, removing references to marriage consent for minors and updating definitions and legal provisions accordingly, with the ultimate goal of protecting children's rights and preventing potential harm associated with early marriage.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=528&year=2025