House File 696 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 696 BY ABDUL-SAMAD , EHLERT , DONAHUE , and McCONKEY A BILL FOR An Act relating to the establishment of a study committee on 1 child marriage. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2426YH (6) 89 pf/rh

H.F. 696 Section 1. MULTIDEPARTMENTAL STUDY COMMITTEE ON CHILD 1 MARRIAGE. 2 1. The department of human services, the department 3 of public safety, and the department of justice shall 4 cooperatively establish a study committee on child marriage. 5 2. The study committee shall do all of the following: 6 a. Review the prevalence of child marriage in the state, in 7 the United States, and globally to determine trends, causes, 8 and the impacts of child marriage. 9 b. Review the specific social and economic underpinnings of 10 child marriage including but not limited to gender inequality, 11 cultural tradition, poverty, and economic or social insecurity, 12 and the impacts of child marriage including but not limited 13 to educational attainment; financial stability and earnings; 14 physical, reproductive, and mental health including maternal 15 morbidity and mortality; violence, coercion including 16 reproductive coercion, and physical, sexual, emotional, and 17 other forms of abuse; the likelihood of divorce; and the 18 broader impacts of intergenerational and societal costs and 19 consequences. 20 c. Review existing laws and policies that reinforce child 21 marriage as a legally viable alternative to criminal liability, 22 including those relating to human trafficking, coercion, 23 exploitation, and statutory rape. 24 d. Determine if data relating to child marriage in the state 25 is sufficient to provide a clear basis for addressing child 26 marriage, and if not, what additional data is needed. 27 e. Make recommendations regarding but not limited to 28 whether child marriage should be eliminated in the state 29 without exception; and the strategies that should be employed 30 to delay or prevent child marriage including but not limited 31 to empowering girls with information, skills, and support 32 networks; providing economic support and incentives to girls 33 and their families; educating parents and family members; 34 enhancing girls’ access to high-quality education; and 35 -1- LSB 2426YH (6) 89 pf/rh 1/ 3

H.F. 696 encouraging supportive laws and policies to end child marriage 1 and meet the needs of married children. 2 3. The study committee shall involve input from a 3 multidisciplinary group of individuals who possess knowledge 4 and expertise related to child marriage, child development, 5 child protection, maternal health, domestic violence, mental 6 health, social work, education, law, juvenile justice, human 7 trafficking, law enforcement, and other appropriate stakeholder 8 interests. 9 4. For the purposes of this section, “child marriage” 10 means any marriage in which at least one of the parties is 11 under eighteen years of age, and includes a forced or coerced 12 marriage in which one or both parties have not expressed, or do 13 not have the capacity to express, their full and free consent 14 to the marriage. 15 5. The task force shall submit a report of its findings and 16 recommendations to the governor and the general assembly by 17 December 1, 2021. 18 EXPLANATION 19 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 20 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 21 This bill requires the department of human services, the 22 department of public safety, and the department of justice to 23 cooperatively establish a study committee on child marriage. 24 The bill specifies the duties of the task force including 25 reviewing the prevalence of child marriage in the state, in 26 the United States, and globally to determine trends, causes, 27 and the impacts of child marriage including impacts on the 28 parties and more broadly on society; reviewing existing laws 29 and policies that reinforce child marriage as a legally viable 30 alternative to criminal liability; determining if sufficient 31 data on child marriage in the state exists to provide a clear 32 basis for addressing child marriage; and making recommendations 33 regarding but not limited to whether child marriage should be 34 eliminated in the state without exception, and the strategies 35 -2- LSB 2426YH (6) 89 pf/rh 2/ 3

H.F. 696 that should be employed to delay or prevent child marriage. 1 The study committee shall involve input from a 2 multidisciplinary group of individuals who possess knowledge 3 and expertise in various areas. The bill provides a definition 4 of “child marriage” for the purposes of the bill and requires 5 the task force to submit a report of its findings and 6 recommendations to the governor and the general assembly by 7 December 1, 2021. 8 -3- LSB 2426YH (6) 89 pf/rh 3/ 3