AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

Utah law already prohibits marriage involving minors in most circumstances, but this bill significantly strengthens enforcement by adding new felony crimes and closing loopholes. It creates new third-degree felony offenses for an adult who marries a minor, for anyone who transports a Utah minor out of state to be married in a way that would be illegal here, and for a Utah resident who travels out of state to marry a minor and then brings that minor back into Utah. It also moves several existing offenses — including parents or guardians who unlawfully consent to a minor's marriage, officiants who perform such ceremonies, and anyone who fraudulently impersonates a guardian to obtain a minor's marriage license — into the criminal code where they are more clearly enforceable. Prosecutors have up to 15 years after the minor turns 18 to bring charges for the new offenses, and marriages involving minors performed in other states or countries are declared invalid in Utah unless they meet specific requirements. Minors who have been pressured or coerced into illegal marriages gain the most meaningful protection under this bill, as it creates new criminal accountability for the adults who arrange or facilitate those marriages.