Remove Exception to Marry with Judicial Approval

The requirement for judicial approval was changed from a general exception for 16- and 17-year-olds to a specific exception only when the age difference between the two parties does not exceed ten years.

The statutory provision requiring the appointment of a guardian ad litem for underage parties seeking a marriage license was repealed.

The bill's title and summary were updated to reflect the new focus on limiting the age difference rather than removing the judicial approval exception entirely.

The bill's status label changed from 'Engrossed' to 'Reengrossed' to accurately reflect that amendments were adopted in the House of Introduction.

The bill summary note was updated to specify that the summary applies to the 3rd Reading Unamended version and includes a new date of March 30, 2026.

The list of Senate sponsors was expanded to include Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Coleman, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Lindstedt, Mullica, Roberts, Sullivan, and Wallace.

The exception permitting 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with a judge's approval was eliminated.

The specific court process for appointing guardians for underage marriage applicants was repealed.

The appropriation for the Office of the Child's Representative was decreased by $7,125 to reflect the reduced need for court-appointed counsel in marriage cases.