Bill > HB647

This bill aims to end child marriage in Hawaii by raising the minimum age to marry from sixteen to eighteen years old, removing all provisions that previously allowed minors under eighteen to marry with parental consent or family court approval. The legislation is motivated by growing national and international recognition that child marriage is a human rights violation that disproportionately affects girls and can result in potential coercion, trafficking, or exploitation. The bill eliminates existing statutes that permitted marriage for individuals as young as fifteen with court approval and removes parental consent requirements for underage marriage. It aligns Hawaii's laws with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targeting child marriage and follows a trend of other states that have enacted similar legislation to protect minors. The bill makes several conforming amendments to various sections of Hawaii's Revised Statutes, including removing marriage-related provisions from definitions of guardianship, changing jurisdictional language in family court statutes, and modifying marriage license and annulment requirements to reflect the new minimum age standard. By setting eighteen as the absolute minimum age for marriage, the legislation seeks to protect minors from potential abuse and ensure they have reached an age of sufficient maturity to make informed decisions about marriage.

Health and Social Services

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=647&year=2026