Survivor Testimony and Bipartisan Backing Intensify Ohio Effort to End “Child Marriage”
A bipartisan proposal to eliminate “child marriage” in Ohio is gaining renewed attention after a survivor shared her experience publicly and lawmakers in both chambers pledged to press the bill forward. The legislation would set 18 as the minimum age to marry, removing the state’s remaining exception for 17-year-olds.
Senate Bill 341, introduced by Sen. Bill DeMora, D-Columbus, and Sen. Louis Blessing III, R-Colerain Township, would prohibit marriage under 18 in all circumstances. A companion bill has been filed in the House by Reps. Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-New Waterford.
Under current Ohio law, 17-year-olds may marry with juvenile court approval after counseling and a mandatory waiting period. Parental consent is not required, and the age gap between spouses may not exceed four years. The proposed legislation would remove that provision entirely.
The renewed push follows testimony from Stephanie Lowry, who said she married at 16 after becoming pregnant. She told lawmakers that because she was under 18, her husband became her legal guardian once they wed. When the relationship became abusive, she said she was unable to file for divorce independently or sign a lease on her own.
“Even with a ring on my finger, I was still a child in the eyes of the law,” Lowry said.
Advocacy group Unchained At Last, which is working with lawmakers on the bill, reported that more than 5,000 individuals under 18 have married in Ohio since 2000, based on Department of Health data. The organization said 50 17-year-olds were married between 2020 and 2024.
Before 2019, Ohio had no defined minimum marriage age if parental and judicial consent were granted. Reforms enacted that year set 18 as the standard minimum but allowed 17-year-olds to marry with court approval. Supporters of SB 341 say the goal now is to establish a single, clear minimum age without exceptions.
Although the proposal has bipartisan sponsorship and no publicly declared opposition, similar domestic violence-related legislation has historically taken multiple sessions to pass. Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio noted that earlier reforms required compromise to secure enough votes.
Some religious activists have quietly argued that marriage should remain available in cases of teen pregnancy. Lawmakers backing SB 341 have said the measure is intended to address age standards in state law.
Senate President Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, said he was not yet familiar with the bill but indicated the chamber would likely consider it.
SB 341 is awaiting committee assignment and its first hearing. Lawmakers sponsoring the measure say their objective is to remove ambiguity in Ohio’s marriage statutes by setting 18 as the minimum legal age in all cases.
