Child Marriage, Overdose Death Bills Signed Into Law

PROVIDENCE, RI — Two bills are now Rhode Island law. On Monday, Gov. Dan McKee signed legislation banning child marriages in the state and requiring that the state analyze overdose deaths going forward.

The first bill removes all language in state law allowing minors to obtain a marriage license. Previously, under-18 marriages could take place with parental consent.

Rep. Julie Casimiro, one of the bill's sponsors, said that getting married as a minor "destroy[s] girls’ health, education and economic opportunities and increases their risk of violence.

"These young girls risk a 70 to 80 percent chance of divorce and they are more likely to end up in poverty than teen moms who remain single," she said. "These marriages can be used to cover up an unwanted pregnancy or cover for abuse. Sometimes abusive parents use these marriages for financial gain. Sometimes these marriages are used for sex trafficking purposes."

Rhode Island is the fifth state in the country to take this step. According to Sen. John Burke, the Senate sponsor, 32 minors were married in the state between 2013 and 2019, one person as young as 14 years old. The "vast majority" of these minors were girls, he said.

"While child marriage is rare in Rhode Island, it does happen,"Burke said. (D-Dist. 9, West Warwick), bill sponsor. "Most often, child marriage is forced marriage, with minors being compelled to marry by their parents. It’s time for the state to put an end to this outrageous practice."

"I am pleased that Rhode Island is joining several other states in this effort to protect children and prevent exploitation," McKee said. "Thank you to Representative Casimiro and Senator Burke for their dedication to getting this legislation passed and putting an end to child marriage."

The second bill creates a permanent provision requiring the state to analyze overdose deaths, in an effect to reduce them.

"The overdose epidemic is a pressing issue for states across our nation," McKee said. "Now more than ever, it is crucial for Rhode Island to continue identifying and examining factors that contribute to the increasing number of deaths to help us respond to this crisis effectively."

The law builds off a bill passed by the General Assembly in 2018, temporarily requiring that a group of health and public safety professionals review data about overdose deaths, determining trends. The group provides an annual report to the governor and General Assembly. The measure included a 2020 sunset provision, which was removed in the new legislation.

"After year with a 25 percent increase in overdose deaths, Rhode Island cannot afford to stop studying what’s fueling all these deaths," said Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, the Senate sponsor. "We need to know which drugs exactly are the biggest issues, how they are being taken, where they are coming from, the circumstances leading to the death — the more we know, the more we can do to identify ways and resources to prevent more people from being lost to this tragic epidemic."