In California today, minors may still get married with the written consent of at least one parent or guardian and a court order. A new amended bill proposes to get rid of these expectations and solidify a minimum age of 18 for marriage, which has a chance to be heard at the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 30. 

“This legislation builds on years of advocacy and previous legislative efforts to end child marriage in California,” said Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, the author of the bill, in an email to The Collegian. 

In May, The Collegian published a feature on  Kate Yang, a former Fresno resident who has been fighting to ban child marriage in the U.S. She recounted her journey lobbying for Assembly Bill 2924, along with a coalition of non-profits and survivors in 2024, which would set the minimum age for marriage at 18. 

However, that bill failed. 

Since the due date to introduce a new bill was Feb. 20, the coalition believed that California would have to wait another year to remove the exception from California law. 

However, because of a “gut-and-amend” process, California will see another attempt at banning child marriage. This was the case for AB 1267,  introduced by Pellerin. 

According to Hannah Bar-Ness, spokesperson for Pellerin, within the gut-and-amend processes, the original contents of a bill are removed and replaced with another issue, often unrelated.

Originally, this bill aimed to reduce the administrative work for substance abuse programs. California law required alcohol and drug recovery programs to hold separate licenses and certifications. However, the authors of the bill amended the content of the bill.

Now, the bill has been amended to remove the exceptions allowing minors to marry. The same mission of the bill that failed in 2024.

“Honestly, it feels like a miracle because none of us even knew this loophole existed,” Yang said.

This bill is authored by Pellerin along with three other assembly members. One of whom is Assemblymember Petrie-Norris, who authored the previous bill in 2024 that failed to pass. 

 “I am proud to partner with Assemblymember Petrie-Norris and the bipartisan, bicameral coalition of legislators supporting this bill,” Assemblymember Gail Pellerin said in an email to The Collegian. “I am also grateful to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and Unchained at Last for co-sponsoring this effort.”

According to CalMatters, this bill has four authors and Assembly member Esmeralda Soria is one of over 35 legislators who co-authored this bill.

“Child marriage is a harmful practice that restricts the autonomy and opportunities for minors, robs minors of their childhoods, forces them into social isolation, and limits their educational opportunities,” said Brody Fernandez, Soria’s press secretary. He adds, “The practice also undermines statutory rape laws and creates a legal shield for child predators and human traffickers. That’s why Assemblywoman Soria supports AB 1267 and said she was happy to add her name as a co-author along with over 35 other members of the Legislature.”

The amended bill has a possibility to be heard on June 30; however, it is not listed on the agenda.