House passes substitute bill requiring juvenile-court review for 14–15-year-old marriages

The House adopted Substitute House Bill 77, which requires that 14- and 15-year-old minors obtain written authorization from a juvenile court referee or judge establishing that the minor is entering into marriage voluntarily before issuing a marriage license.

Sponsor Representative Davis told the House the bill’s intent is not to prohibit minors from marrying but to ensure that very young applicants are not coerced. The sponsor cited vital statistics (latest available year noted as 1989) showing a small number of marriage licenses issued to underage applicants and that a substantial portion of those licenses came from out of state; he said the Salt Lake County Clerk had brought the issue to the legislature’s attention.

Floor questions addressed a $5 filing fee the substitute includes for juvenile authorization; the sponsor said courts proposed the fee to make the authorization appealable and to cover any marginal workload without producing a fiscal note impact. Members debated parental-rights implications and whether the bill would criminalize otherwise legitimate family choices. After extended floor debate with supporters and opponents, the House passed the substitute bill and sent it to the Senate (67 affirmative, 5 negative votes recorded).