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Missouri senators introduce bills to raise legal marriage age to 18
Summary
Sen. Tracy McCreery filed Senate Bill 66, heard in the Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee; Sen. Rick Bratton filed an identical companion, SB 631, not yet assigned to committee. Both would raise the legal age of marriage to 18 for all parties.
Two Missouri senators held a news conference Wednesday to announce companion bills to raise the legal age of marriage to 18 for all parties involved.
Senate Bill 66, sponsored by Sen. Tracy McCreery of St. Louis County, was heard in the Missouri Senate Families, Seniors and Health Committee just before the news conference. Sen. Rick Bratton of Harrisonville has filed Senate Bill 631, described by proponents as identical to SB 66; that companion measure had not been assigned to a committee at the time of the news conference.
The measures would change current state law to set 18 as the minimum age for marriage for every party, according to the sponsors' descriptions at the event. At the news conference, a speaker noted family histories of very young marriages in past generations as part of the background for the proposal. The transcript provided no additional statutory citations or specific text changes beyond the stated age change.
SB 66 has reached a committee hearing, which is an early step in the Senate process; SB 631 remains unassigned, indicating it has not yet been scheduled for committee consideration. The bills will require further committee review, possible amendments and floor votes before they could become law. The transcript did not specify a committee vote schedule or timelines for floor action.
Reporting from the state capital, Dean Morgan signed off in the recording.
