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HB 2026

Relating to behavioral health.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Rob Nosse

HB 2026 raises marriage age to 18, removes consent for 15-17, and changes the 3-day waiting period; reduces child marriage and lowers clerks' license workload.

In committee upon adjournment.
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Bill Summary · HB 2026

HB 2026 — Summary (Introduced January 22, 2025)

Purpose

HB 2026 amends Kansas law (K.S.A. 23-2505) to raise the minimum age at which a person may validly consent to marriage to 18 years and to eliminate existing parental, guardian, and judicial exceptions that currently permit some 15–17‑year‑olds to marry. The bill also clarifies how the statutory three‑day waiting period between application and issuance of a marriage license is computed.

Key provisions

  • Amends and repeals the existing K.S.A. 23‑2505 and replaces it with a revised section.
  • Establishes that marriage licenses may be issued only to applicants who are at least 18 years of age (removing current authority to issue licenses to 15–17‑year‑olds with parental/guardian and/or judicial consent).
    • Under current law (pre-amendment), judges may approve marriage for some 15‑year‑olds in their best interest and 16–17‑year‑olds may marry with parental/legal guardian consent (and sometimes judicial consent). HB 2026 removes those exceptions.
  • Modifies computation of the current three‑day waiting period: Sundays, legal holidays, and days the clerk’s office is closed would be excluded from counting toward the three calendar days required between filing an application and issuing a license. (In practice, this means closures would not reduce the waiting interval, potentially increasing elapsed calendar time before a license may be issued.)
  • Specifies the act takes effect upon publication in the statute book.

Who is affected

  • Minors (under 18): Persons aged 15–17 who, under current law, could marry with parental/guardian or judicial consent would no longer be eligible to receive a marriage license.
  • Parents and legal guardians: Will no longer be able to provide consent to permit their 16–17‑year‑old children to marry.
  • District court judges and clerks: Administrative workload tied to reviewing parental consents and conducting judicial reviews of minor marriage applications would be reduced.
  • State and local revenue/fee recipients: Fewer marriage license applications may be filed and processed, potentially reducing fee revenue to the State General Fund and other state funds.

Fiscal and administrative impact

  • The Division of the Budget (Fiscal Note dated Jan. 27, 2025) reports the bill would reduce the number of marriage license applications processed and lower workload for district court judges/clerks. It also notes a possible decrease in revenues to the State General Fund and other state funds due to fewer applications.
  • The fiscal note states a precise fiscal effect cannot be estimated and that any impact is not reflected in the FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.

Procedural status / timing

  • Introduced: January 22, 2025 (Representative Sawyer Clayton).
  • Referred to: House Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
  • Effective date: upon publication in the statute book (per bill language).

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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