Assembly Bill 656 aims to amend existing laws regarding the marriageable age and spousal exceptions for certain sex crimes against children in Wisconsin. The bill establishes that all individuals must be 18 years of age or older to marry, eliminating the previous allowance for minors aged 16 to 17 to obtain a marriage license with parental consent. Additionally, it removes spousal exceptions for Class A misdemeanors related to sexual intercourse and contact with minors, unless the marriage occurred when the individual was a child. The bill also allows minors who are married to file for divorce or legal separation and extends the time frame for annulment suits for those under 18 at the time of marriage to 10 years.

Key changes in the bill include the repeal of the provision allowing minors aged 16 to 17 to marry with consent, the renumbering of related statutes, and the amendment of various sections to reflect these changes. Notably, the bill allows a parent or guardian to bring annulment suits at any time before the minor turns 18, removing the previous one-year limitation. Furthermore, it clarifies that the spousal exceptions for sexual crimes do not apply if the defendant was a child at the time of marriage.

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