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Sponsor pulls bill to end child marriage after committee questions about emancipated minors
Summary
Representative Letting introduced House Bill 17-08 to raise the minimum marriage age to 17 and require a notarized parental-affidavit for 17-year-olds; committee members raised questions about how emancipation and parental signatures are treated and the sponsor withdrew the bill to clarify language.
Representative Letting presented House Bill 17-08 to the Senate Judiciary Committee as an "act to end child marriage" in Arkansas by aligning the minimum ages for both parties at 17 and requiring a notarized affidavit of parental consent for 17-year-olds.
During questioning, Senator Flowers asked whether emancipated minors would still need parental consent under the bill. Representative Letting stated she believed existing law already requires signatures from parents in most circumstances and that the bill would not change the current law on emancipation. Senator Flowers said she planned to research whether emancipation should exempt a minor from the parental-consent requirement and suggested amending the bill if necessary.
Because those statutory details were not resolved in the committee, Representative Letting asked to pull the bill so she could consult with Representative Flowers and consider amendments to clarify whether emancipated minors are exempt or whether both parents' signatures are required under the statutory section referenced. The bill was withdrawn from consideration pending revision.
