LANSING, Mich. — It has been two months since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the first pieces of legislation to ban child marriage in Michigan. Now, Whitmer is signing a final bill to update language in the Michigan Penal Code (MPC) to reflect the ban.
House Bill 4302, sponsored by state Representative Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph), modifies the MPC to remove any reference to a spouse under the age of 16. The bill is the final piece of legislation needed to bring the MPC in line with the previous bill package that changed the minimum age of consent for marriage to 18 years old.
The bill package banning child marriage was signed into law in July and included six bills banning child marriage and two other bills that closed a marital rape loophole and removed a law making unmarried cohabitation a crime.
“I am committed to keeping Michiganders—especially young women—safe and healthy, and today’s bipartisan bill fully implements Michigan’s ban on child marriage,” said Gov. Whitmer. “As a county prosecutor, I went after those who used their power to prey on young people, and as governor, I have proudly signed legislation to keep young people safe and protect sexual assault survivors. Together, we can make Michigan a safe, welcoming place where everyone can envision a bright future for themselves.”
Prior to these bills being signed into law, Michigan allowed the marriage of children ages 17 and 16 with written consent from parents. The state also allowed the marriage of younger minors if they had both judicial and parental approval.
Five republican lawmakers voted against House Bill 4302, as well as the other bills banning child marriage, closing a marital rape loophole and making unmarried cohabitation legal. Angela Rigas of Caledonia, Neil Friske of Charlevoix, Steve Carra of Three Rivers, Matt Maddock of Milford and Josh Schriver of Oxford opposed the bills.
House Bill 4302 takes effect immediately.
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