4/16/2026
By Michele Hanash
I’m reaching out because the bill to end child marriage has been completely gutted, and we need to demand that legislators fix it.
What’s at stake: The Colorado Senate passed a clean ban (SB‑48) to end child marriage with no exceptions but last week the Colorado House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee amended the bill to add a 10‑year age‑gap exception. So instead of ending child marriage, if passed, the amended bill would protect about 3% of child brides in the state—only minors marrying someone 10 or more years older. Under this gutted version, a 25‑year‑old adult could still legally marry a 16‑year‑old. If the bill in its current form is sealed into law, Colorado would have one of the weakest child‑marriage laws in the nation.
Why this matters: The amendment ignores that child marriage is a human trafficking workaround and a legal trap that denies minors adult protections, forces automatic emancipation, leaving girls without the support of their family, and causes lifelong harms like sexual abuse and loss of education and economic opportunities. It would leave 97% of Colorado’s soon-to-be child brides exactly where they were—vulnerable to abuse and grooming, shut out of school, and facing economic and health consequences that follow them for life.
Please act now: Contact Governor Polis and Representatives Lorena Garcia and Junie Joseph and urge them to support a full ban at age 18—or reject the weakened bill.
“I urge you to support a full ban on child marriage at age 18 with no exceptions. The House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee amendment to SB‑48 leaves most child brides unprotected and puts children at risk.”
You can also contact your own state representative and senator. You can look them up here. You can also help by sharing our post on X and Instagram.
With gratitude,
Michele Hanash
Director of Policy and Women’s Programs
AHA Foundation
P.S. This campaign runs April 12–20. Your quick action this week can help determine the outcome. Every voice matters!