The West Virginia House of Delegates passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit minors from getting married.
The Republican-dominated House passed the bill 84-13, sending it to the state Senate. The regular session ends March 11.
Currently, children can marry as young as 16 in West Virginia with parental consent. Anyone younger than that also must get a judge’s waiver.
The bill would establish that 18 is the age of consent. It removes the ability of a minor to obtain consent through their parents, legal guardians, or by court petition. Existing legal marriages, including those done in other states, are unaffected.
