OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington is among a handful of states where there is no current age requirement to marry. Children of any age can be legally married with permission from a judge, and 17-year-olds only need parental permission.
However, a bill that aims to add a minimum age requirement of 18 is sitting on Gov. Jay Inslee's desk and could be signed as early as Thursday morning. It comes after the legislature broadly supported and passed the measure amid passionate testimony from survivors.
"At age 12, I became the 12-year-old bride," testified Kate Yang, a survivor from Kirkland. "And I was trafficked by my family for $6,000 USD, and I was raped on my wedding night... I’m here today to let the American people know that child marriage does exist in America, that child marriage does exist in Washington State."
The topic is most certainly taboo. But a study by Unchained at Last shows that from 2000 to 2021, more than 5,000 minors were married in Washington.
Yang's story was among the testimony that captured the attention of lawmakers; it even hit home for Tacoma's own Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-27th District.
"As someone who’s a product of a forced child marriage myself, I can tell you that the impacts are wide and deep," said Trudeau.
Trudeau's mother was forced into a marriage with her father when she was just a girl, she said.
House Bill 1455 actually stalled in the Senate in the 2023 legislative session, largely because the schedule was busy. In this session, however, the bill was moved along quickly.
Sen. Monica Stonier, D-49th District, the bill's sponsor, said she appreciated the broad support it received throughout the legislature this year.
"I can't imagine being a 14-year-old, and some judge I don't know is able to grant away my rights," she said.
Survivors like Sara Tasneem have long fought for legislative change.
"I think this just ultimately says that you know, the law is not on the side of the abuser," said Tasneem.
Tasneem’s abuser was 28 when her dad forced her to marry him at just 15 years old.
"It's definitely never easy to share the trauma and the experience just because it's kind of like, um, reliving it in a way," she said. "But um, just to know that all that effort is worth it… and that, you know, minors will not have to be forced into marriages in the state of Washington."
She said the bill’s momentum has given her new hope.
"It's just amazing to see, like, how people can come together and, and make change," she said.
The Unchained at Last study shows the vast majority, 83%, of recent child marriages in Washington are those of adult men marrying girls.
Concerningly, current marriage laws do not align with statutory rape laws. The age of consent in Washington is 16 years old, but there is an exemption for married couples, so technically, an abuser could enter into a child marriage just to avoid criminal charges.
"My hope is that if Washington does, in fact, pass this legislation, we can keep the momentum moving," said Tasneem.