Bill to set minimum marriage age to 18 in Washington state heads to governor

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — A law to establish 18 as the minimum marriage age in Washington state is headed to the governor’s desk for his signature.

State lawmakers in the House and Senate passed House Bill 1455 this session after the measure stalled in the Senate last year and other bills failed to gain traction in previous years.

This year, the House passed it unanimously on the first day of session. On Friday, the Senate voted to pass the bill with a vote of 48-1. Republican Sen. Jeff Holy, of Spokane, cast the lone no vote.

Supporters of such legislation say it reduces domestic violence and unwanted pregnancies, as well as improves the lives of teens.

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“I just think we’ve got to stop the generational trauma from people being forced into lifestyles or marriages that they’re not equipped to take up,” Democrat Rep. Monica Stonier, of Vancouver, who introduced the measure, told The Seattle Times.

Marriage for people younger than 18 was legal in all 50 U.S. states as of 2017, according to