The New Hampshire Senate voted to deny an exception to the state's child marriage ban after it was enforced earlier this year.
The legal age of marriage in the state was raised to 18 this year, which was the result of an effort by Rep. Cassandra Levesque. The lawmaker helped pass the bill in 2024 and the latest development made New Hampshire the 13th state to ban child marriage.
Child Marriage in New Hampshire
In March, the House approved a new exception to the law after officials passed a bill that makes the of consent for marriage 17 if one individual is active-duty military. However, the Senate killed that bill via a voice vote on Thursday.
Sen. Debra Altschiller said the committee heard testimony, which detailed concerns surrounding safety, on top of the fact that marriage may not be a requirement to assign beneficiaries. She added that the committee did not find the bill "expedient to legislate," according to the Seacoastonline.
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On the other hand, supporters of the bill in the House argued that there needs to be an exception for individuals in the military. They note that these people can be moved from base to base quite frequently and should be given the option to marry to provide benefits such as medical coverage and housing even if they are minors.
In countering the bill, Levesque said that the idea of an exception would only open the doors to new issues. She added that child marriage is never done in the best interest of the child as she celebrated the failure of the bill on Thursday.
A Potential Exception
Many people believe that child marriage, which is defined as a formal marriage or informal union before the age of 18 years, is a harmful practice that only puts the lives, health, and futures of children at risk, Equality Now reported.
There are 12 million girls worldwide who are getting married every year before even turning 18 years old. They are more often than not married to adult men who are much older than they are. Child marriage is a practice that is internationally recognized as a human rights violation and a form of violence against women and girls.
Between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 children, the majority of whom are girls, were legally married in the United States. Roughly 215 minors were married in New Hampshire alone between 2000 and 2023, before the law itself was amended, as per The Fulcrum.
