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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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Wisconsin could become the latest state in the U.S. to ban child marriage.
A group of Democratic lawmakers introduced legislation, Senate Bill 634 and Assembly Bill 656, to eliminate child marriage late last year. If enacted, it would establish that only those aged 18 or older may marry in the state, with no exceptions.
Newsweek reached out to state Senator Mark Spreitzer, one of the bill’s authors, via email for comment.
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Why It Matters
Since 2018, 16 states and Washington, D.C., as well as American Samoa and the U.S. Virgin Islands, have ended child marriage by raising the legal age to marry to 18, according to Unchained at Last, an organization working to end child marriage in the United States.
Child marriage is defined as a marriage where at least one of the parties is under 18, which the United Nations calls a human rights violation and a form of forced marriage since at least one or both parties have not given their full, free and informed consent.
Advocates have previously told Newsweek how child marriage leaves minors open to abuse and vulnerable since they have limited legal rights, and they have also warned that the patchwork of state laws in the U.S. makes it easy for minors to be transported to be married in states where child marriage remains legal.
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What To Know
The bill would remove an exception in current law that allows children as young as 16 to marry with parental consent in Wisconsin. Current law allows 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds to obtain a marriage license if they provide written consent from a parent, guardian or custodian.
The bill also eliminated spousal exceptions for sexual assault of minors.
It would allow a married minor to file for legal separation or divorce on their own and would also allow a person who married as a minor to file for an annulment within 10 years of marriage. Married minors currently face legal hurdles when seeking annulment, separation or divorce, such as requiring an adult guardian to initiate proceedings.
Spreitzer said the marriages that would be outlawed by the bill "are overwhelmingly between minor children and adults.”
What People Are Saying
Alex Goyette, the public policy manager at the Tahirih Justice Center, an organization working to end child marriage, said in a statement to Newsweek: "We are thrilled to see Wisconsin legislators renewing efforts to ban child marriage. Current law allows older minors to be married with nothing more than parental consent. The Tahirih Justice Center knows from working with children facing forced marriage across the country that the most common perpetrators of this abuse are their own parents; laws like Wisconsin's empower the very perpetrators from whom these children need protection.
"Wisconsin statute also lacks a prohibition on non-resident minors marrying in the state. Sixteen states, two territories, and Washington DC have already banned child marriage, including two of Wisconsin's immediate neighbors: Minnesota and Michigan. We know that when one state increases protections, perpetrators often seek out a destination with more permissive laws: this leaves Wisconsin at increasing risk of becoming a destination for forced child marriages."
State Senator Mark Spreitzer said in a statement in October: "I am proud to once again introduce legislation to end child marriage in Wisconsin. The data is clear: the marriages this bill would outlaw are overwhelmingly between minor children and adults, with the vast majority involving minor brides marrying adult men, and research shows that child marriages have higher rates of domestic violence."
State Representative Ann Roe, a co-author of the bill, said: "Banning child marriage in Wisconsin is long overdue: sixteen other states have already taken this important step. If passed, this bill will finally bring Wisconsin’s laws in line with today’s standards by ending an outdated and often exploitative loophole. This bill will protect young people and give them the opportunity to build safe, healthy futures. I hope the majority party will take up this critical legislation this session."
What Happens Next
A committee hearing for the bill has not yet been set, and its future in the Republican-controlled Legislature remains uncertain.
The same legislation was previously proposed in 2019 and 2023, but did not receive a Senate or Assembly committee hearing or a floor vote in either chamber.
Update 1/8/26, 8:20 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to add comment from Alex Goyette.
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