Child Marriage Prevention Act

Summary#

This bill is called the Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2026. It sets up a National Commission within the Department of Health and Human Services to study child marriage in the United States, hold listening sessions, and issue an interim report after 1 year and a final report after 2 years. The bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on child marriage trends, impacts, and the role of immigration in admitting noncitizen spouses or fiancés who were under 18 at marriage.

The bill creates a competitive grant program so States that still allow marriage under 18 can form State task forces to collect data, study causes and harms, and recommend policies. It authorizes increases in certain STOP and sexual assault service formula grants for States that set 18 as the minimum marriage age. The bill bans use of Federal property to facilitate any marriage unless both people are at least 18.

It directs the Department of Justice to form a working group to produce a model State law that would prohibit marriage under 18, let minors married as children petition to void the marriage, and limit an adult’s ability to void such marriages. It also changes immigration rules: it adds age requirements and interview steps for fiance and spouse visa categories when a party was under 18 at the time of marriage or engagement, tightens rules on proxy marriages, and requires public education and updated pamphlets and forms from immigration agencies.

What it means for you#

• If you are under 18, the bill seeks to make it harder to legally marry and to create options to void marriages you entered as a minor.
• Survivors and advocates can expect new listening sessions, studies, and State-level task forces to gather data and recommend services.
• States that set 18 as the minimum marriage age may receive extra formula grant funding for programs addressing violence and sexual assault.
• Noncitizen spouses or fiancés who were under 18 at the time of marriage or engagement could face new age-based limits and will be interviewed privately during immigration processing. Immigration offices must provide updated, multi-language information about these changes.

Expenses#

• The bill authorizes $1,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 and 2028 to carry out the National Commission (Section 4(g)).
• It authorizes $375,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032 for State task force grants (Section 6(c)).
• It authorizes $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032 to provide increases to specified formula grants for States that prohibit marriage under 18 (Section 7(g)).
• GAO and agency reporting, education, and administration tasks are required, but No publicly available information on total budgetary cost or mandatory spending beyond the specific authorizations listed.

Proponents' View#

The bill’s findings state that child marriage harms education, health, economic prospects, and safety, and that a patchwork of State laws and some immigration practices allow marriages involving minors to persist. Supporters in the bill text argue that a national commission, State task forces, revised immigration rules, and incentives for States will help end child marriage, improve services for survivors, and prevent forced or coerced marriages.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information on opponents' views is included in the bill text or the provided metadata.