HB 378 - AS INTRODUCED
2019 SESSION
19-0281
05/06
HOUSE BILL 378
AN ACT raising the minimum age for marriage.
SPONSORS: Rep. Levesque, Straf. 4; Rep. Read, Rock. 17; Rep. Desilets, Rock. 7; Rep. Hoelzel, Rock. 3; Rep. Steven Smith, Sull. 11; Rep. Walz, Merr. 23; Rep. Altschiller, Rock. 19; Rep. Mulligan, Graf. 12; Rep. M. Griffin, Rock. 7; Rep. Weber, Ches. 1; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Hennessey, Dist 5; Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13
COMMITTEE: Children and Family Law
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ANALYSIS
This bill raises the minimum age for marriage from 16 to 18 years of age.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
19-0281
05/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT raising the minimum age for marriage.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Marriage; Age. Amend RSA 457:4 to read as follows:
457:4 Marriageable. No person below the age of [16] 18 years shall be capable of contracting a valid marriage, and all marriages contracted by such persons shall be null and void.
2 Prohibitions. Amend RSA 457:8 to read as follows:
457:8 Prohibitions. No town clerk shall issue any certificate for the marriage of any person below the age of consent, and no magistrate or minister of religion shall solemnize the marriage of any such person, if such clerk, magistrate or minister knows or has reasonable cause to believe that such person is below such age[, unless permission for such marriage has been given under this subdivision]. No magistrate or minister of religion shall solemnize any marriage by proxy.
3 Repeal. The following are repealed:
I. RSA 457:6, relative to a marriage petition by a party under age.
II. RSA 457:7, relative to grounds for granting a marriage petition by a party under age.
III. RSA 5-C:45, relative to the marriage license of a party under age.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2020.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 19, 2019 | House | Hearing |
| March 5, 2019 | House | Exec Session |
| March 13, 2019 | House | Exec Session |
| House | Floor Vote | |
| March 19, 2019 | House | Floor Vote |
: Died on Table
March 19, 2019: Lay on Table (Rep. Porter): MA RC 251-99 03/19/2019 HJ 10 P. 53
: Minority Committee Report: Inexpedient to Legislate
: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2019-0957h (Vote 12-7; RC)
March 19, 2019: Majority Committee Report: Ought to Pass with Amendment # 2019-0957h for 03/19/2019 (Vote 12-7; RC) HC 16 P. 18
March 13, 2019: ==CONTINUED== Executive Session: 03/13/2019 10:00 am LOB 206-208
March 5, 2019: ==RECESSED== Executive Session: 03/05/2019 01:00 pm LOB 206
Feb. 19, 2019: Public Hearing: 02/19/2019 10:00 am LOB 206
Jan. 3, 2019: Introduced 01/03/2019 and referred to Children and Family Law HJ 3 P. 12