Senate Bill 634 aims to amend existing laws regarding the age for marriage and the legal implications of spousal exceptions in cases of sexual crimes against minors. The bill establishes that all individuals must be at least 18 years old to marry, eliminating the previous allowance for minors aged 16 to 18 to obtain a marriage license with parental consent. Additionally, it removes spousal exceptions for certain sexual offenses involving minors, meaning that individuals over the age of 19 who engage in sexual intercourse with a child aged 16 or older, or those under 19 who have sexual contact with a child aged 15, will be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor regardless of marital status, unless the marriage occurred when the individual was a child.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the annulment process for marriages involving minors, allowing individuals who were under 18 at the time of marriage to file for annulment within 10 years, and permits parents or guardians to initiate annulment proceedings at any time before the minor turns 18 without the previous one-year limitation. It also explicitly states that married minors can file for divorce or legal separation. The bill includes various amendments and repeals to existing statutes to reflect these changes, ensuring a more stringent legal framework surrounding marriage and the protection of minors.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 48.14(6), 48.14, 765.02(2), 765.02, 765.11(1), 765.11, 765.30(2)(a), 765.30, 767.313(1)(c), 767.313, 948.09, 948.093