The Interfaith Moral Amendment (TIMA) Policy Brief

Ending Child Marriage in the United States

www.moralamendment.com

Executive Summary
Child marriage is a legal reality in much of the United States, enabling the marriage of minors - sometimes as young as 12 or even younger - under exceptions for parental consent, judicial approval, or pregnancy. Four states - California, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Oklahoma - have no statutory minimum age at all.

The Interfaith Moral Amendment (TIMA) holds that no law, faith, or culture should allow a child to be married. We call for the full abolition of child marriage in the U.S. through a coordinated federal, state, and cultural campaign.

The Problem
Between 2000 and 2018, nearly 300,000 minors were married in the United States - the vast majority girls wed to adult men. This practice:
- Increases risk of sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Disrupts education and economic opportunities.
- Traps children in legally binding relationships with limited escape options.
- Is often used to shield perpetrators from statutory rape charges.

Child marriage violates both human rights standards and core moral teachings shared across faith traditions: the protection of innocence, the sanctity of consent, and the safeguarding of the vulnerable.

TIMA's Four-Point Platform for Abolition

1. Federal Law Reform
Goal: Pass the Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2024.
Impact:
- Bans child marriage on federal property and military bases.
- Creates a National Commission to track and report on child marriage.
- Incentivizes states to enact full bans (18+, no exceptions).
TIMA Action: Mobilize faith leaders and public signers to demand passage; position child marriage abolition as a bipartisan moral imperative.

2. Target the Four "No Age Limit" States
States: California, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma.
Impact: Eliminates the most extreme legal gaps, where no statutory minimum age exists. TIMA Action:
- State-specific advocacy campaigns.
- Petitions and public naming of legislators blocking reform.
- Survivor testimony in legislative hearings.

3. Promote Total Bans Nationwide
Goal: Replicate models like Naila's Law in New York, setting marriage age at 18 with no exceptions. Impact: Uniform protection for every child in all 50 states and DC.
TIMA Action:
- Publish a State Marriage Law Scorecard ranking protections from A-F.
- Provide model legislation for lawmakers.
- Encourage states to adopt child marriage abolition as part of their human rights framework.

4. Shift Public Culture
Goal: Make marriage under 18 socially and morally unacceptable.
Impact: Cultural rejection of child marriage accelerates legal reform.
TIMA Action:
- Survivor story campaigns across faith and community networks.
- "Faith Leader's Pledge" for clergy to publicly reject child marriage.
- Social media campaigns with the core message: "If you can't vote, sign a contract, or live independently, you can't be married."

Why Faith Leaders Should Lead
Faith traditions universally uphold the dignity of the child. By uniting across denominations, religions, and cultures, leaders can:
- Denounce harmful interpretations that enable child marriage.
- Model moral courage by signing the Interfaith Moral Amendment Charter.
- Advocate for legal reform as a moral, not merely political, obligation.

Call to Action
TIMA invites lawmakers, faith leaders, advocacy groups, and individuals to sign our pledge at: www.moralamendment.com

Together, we can ensure:
- No child is ever wed before adulthood.
- No law, scripture, or tradition is used to justify exploitation.
- Protection of children becomes a universal moral baseline in the United States.

Contact:
Rev. Bunny Monroe
Founder, The Interfaith Moral Amendment Email: moralamendment@gmail.com Website: www.moralamendment.com

 >>>>> As of 2025, Only 16 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. have completely banned marriage for anyone under 18, with no exceptions:

  • Connecticut

  • Delaware (first state to ban it, 2018)

  • District of Columbia

  • Massachusetts

  • Maine

  • Michigan (ban passed 2023, took effect 2024)

  • Minnesota

  • New Hampshire

  • New Jersey

  • New York (“Naila’s Law”)

  • Pennsylvania

  • Rhode Island

  • Vermont

  • Virginia

  • Washington

  • West Virginia (joined list in 2024)