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119-hr-9758119th Congress

Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Representative Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

Introduced

Summary

Eliminate child marriage in the United States. This bill sets up a national commission to study child marriage, ties federal grant incentives to state bans on under-18 marriage, and tightens immigration and federal property rules to limit underage marriages.

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  • Survivors and families: Establishes a 10-member National Commission that must include at least one survivor and issue interim and final reports on laws, service gaps, and outcomes. The Department of Justice will produce a model State statute that lets individuals who married as minors petition to void those marriages.
  • States and local programs: Creates competitive State task forces to collect up to 10 years of data and recommend protections. Authorizes $375,000 annually for task force grants and authorizes $5.0 million annually for the State incentive program for FY2027–2032.
  • Immigrants and federal processes: Raises age thresholds for fiancé and spouse visas so petitioners and beneficiaries are generally 18, requires private interviews when underage marriages are involved, updates visa forms, and mandates multilingual public outreach.

*Authorizes roughly $35.3 million in federal funding from 2027 through 2032; if appropriated, this would increase federal spending.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

New age rules for marriage visas

If enacted, the bill would raise and clarify age rules for fiancé(e) and spouse immigration petitions. Petitioners and most beneficiaries would generally need to be at least 18 at filing or at the time of marriage. A 16- or 17-year-old who lived in a State that legally allowed the marriage could qualify only by proving a compelling, urgent humanitarian harm, excluding parental consent, pregnancy, or having a child in common. For K-1 visas, the noncitizen would need to enter to marry within 90 days. The bill would also require that parties to proxy marriages met in person within two years before the ceremony, require private, separate interviews when any party was under 18 at the time of marriage or engagement, update Forms I-130 and I-129F, and require multilingual outreach and mailing of an advisory pamphlet about harms and services. These immigration changes would apply to petitions filed and marriages completed after enactment, while the interview requirement would apply regardless of when the marriage or engagement occurred.

Federal study and reporting on child marriage

If enacted, the bill would create a National Commission within HHS to study child marriage and issue an interim report within one year and a final report within two years. The Commission would meet within 120 days of appointments and would end 180 days after the final report. The bill would also require GAO to report on federal and State laws and five-year incidence within three years, and to produce immigration-focused reports one year after enactment and every two years through 2035. Congress authorized $1.5 million for each of fiscal years 2027 and 2028 for the Commission.

State grants and incentives to end child marriage

If enacted, HHS could award competitive grants to States that allow minors to marry to form task forces, collect ten years of statewide data, and make policy recommendations. The bill would authorize $375,000 per year for task force grants for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. The Attorney General could also increase certain STOP and sexual assault formula grants for States that pass laws banning under-18 marriage. Each increase could be up to 10% of a State's three-year average award, last two years, and be given no more than four times. Congress authorized $5 million per year for 2027 through 2032 to carry out the incentive program.

Model state law and federal wedding ban

If enacted, the Attorney General would form a working group to issue a model State statute within 180 days after the National Commission's final report. The model statute would raise the minimum marriage age to 18 (or the State's higher age), allow people married as minors to petition to void the marriage, and bar adults who were adults at the time of marriage from voiding it. The bill would also prohibit facilitating marriages on Federal property unless both parties are at least 18. The working group would draw members from specified DOJ components.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4]

WI • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]

    IL • D

    Sponsored 7/16/2026

  • Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1]

    WA • D

    Sponsored 7/22/2026

  • Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3]

    PA • D

    Sponsored 7/22/2026

  • Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 8/10/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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