Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2026

The Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2026 establishes a new federal commission within the Department of Health and Human Services to study child marriage across the United States and recommend strategies to eliminate it. The bill also creates a grant program to help states with lax marriage laws form task forces to examine local issues and develop policy solutions. To discourage child marriage, the legislation provides increased federal funding to states that have laws prohibiting marriage for anyone under 18 years of age. Additionally, the act restricts the use of federal property for marriages where either party is under 18 and modifies immigration laws to generally require both spouses to be at least 18 for visa petitions to be approved. The bill further mandates private interviews for immigration officers reviewing spousal or fiancé petitions involving minors and requires public education campaigns about the harms of child marriage and available support resources.