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Bill

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Measure

AB 1134

Authors

Bains
Coauthors: Kalra

Subject

Coerced marriage.

Relating To

relating to marriage.

Title

An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 2211 of the Family Code, and to amend Section 265 of the Penal Code, relating to marriage.

Last Action Dt

2025-10-11

State

Chaptered

Status

Chaptered

Active?

Vote Required

Majority

Appropriation

Fiscal Committee

Yes

Local Program

Substantive Changes

None

Urgency

Tax Levy

Leginfo Link

Bill

Actions

2025-10-11		Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 633, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-11		Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-11		Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
2025-09-04		In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.
2025-09-04		Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2523.).
2025-09-02		Ordered to special consent calendar.
2025-08-29		From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).
2025-08-29		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-08-18		In committee: Referred to suspense file.
2025-07-08		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 6. Noes 0.) (July 8). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-06-25		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-06-11		Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.
2025-06-03		In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-06-02		Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1879.)
2025-05-27		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-23		From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).
2025-05-07		In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-28		Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.
2025-04-24		Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-04-23		Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-04-22		From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).
2025-04-09		From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-02		Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-04-01		From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-11		Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-03-10		From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-10		Referred to Com. on PUB. S.
2025-02-21		From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2025-02-20		Read first time. To print.

Keywords

Tags

Versions

Chaptered		2025-10-11
Enrolled		2025-09-08
Amended Assembly		2025-04-23
Amended Assembly		2025-04-01
Amended Assembly		2025-03-10
Introduced		2025-02-20

Last Version Text

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		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Bains</ns0:AuthorText>
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		<ns0:Title>An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 2211 of the Family Code, and to amend Section 265 of the Penal Code, relating to marriage.</ns0:Title>
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				Existing law makes it a crime for a person to take a woman unlawfully, against her will, and by force, menace, or duress, compel her to marry that person, to marry any other person, or to be defiled, as specified.
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			<html:p>This bill would eliminate the crime of compelling a person to be defiled. The bill would specify that
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				Existing law provides that a marriage is voidable and may be adjudged a nullity if certain conditions existed at the time of the marriage, including, among others, the party commencing the proceeding was under the age of consent, either party was of unsound mind, the consent of either party was obtained by fraud or by force, or either party was, at the marriage, physically incapable of entering into the marriage state, and that incapacity
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			<html:p>This bill would, commencing January 1, 2027, authorize a court to grant permission, upon a showing of good cause, for a party to proceed with a petition for nullity of marriage
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				Section 2211 of the 
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							<html:p>A proceeding to obtain a judgment of nullity of marriage, for causes set forth in Section 2210, must be commenced within the periods and by the parties, as follows:</html:p>
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								(a)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (a) of Section 2210, by any of the following:
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								(1)
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								The party to the marriage who was married under the age of legal consent, within four years after arriving at the age of consent.
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								(2)
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								A parent, guardian, conservator, or other person having charge of the minor, at any time before the married minor has arrived at the age of legal consent.
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								(b)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (b) of Section
						2210, by either of the following:
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								(1)
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								Either party during the life of the other.
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								(2)
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								The former spouse.
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								(c)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (c) of Section 2210, by the party injured, or by a relative or conservator of the party of unsound mind, at any time before the death of either party.
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								(d)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (d) of Section 2210, by the party whose consent was obtained by fraud, within four years after the discovery of the facts constituting the fraud.
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								(e)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (e) of Section 2210, by the party whose consent was obtained by force, within four years after the marriage.
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								(f)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (f) of Section 2210, by the injured party, within four years after the marriage.
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								(g)
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								This section shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2027, and as of that date is repealed.
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				Section 2211 is added to the 
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							<html:p>A proceeding to obtain a judgment of nullity of marriage, for causes set forth in Section 2210, shall be commenced within the periods and by the parties, as follows:</html:p>
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								(a)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (a) of Section 2210, by any of the following:
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								(1)
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								The party to the marriage who was married under the age of legal consent, within four years after arriving at the age of consent.
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								(2)
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								A parent, guardian, conservator, or other person having charge of the minor, at any time before the married minor has arrived at the age of legal consent.
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								(b)
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								For causes mentioned in
						subdivision (b) of Section 2210, by either of the following:
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								(1)
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								Either party during the life of the other.
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								(2)
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								The former spouse.
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								(c)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (c) of Section 2210, by the party injured, or by a relative or conservator of the party of unsound mind, at any time before the death of either party.
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								(d)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (d) of Section 2210, by the party whose consent was obtained by fraud, within four years after the discovery of the facts constituting the fraud.
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								(e)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (e) of Section 2210, by the party whose consent was obtained by force, within four years after the marriage.
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								(f)
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								For causes mentioned in subdivision (f) of Section 2210, by the injured party, within four years after the marriage.
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								(g)
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								(1)
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								If the petition for nullity of marriage on the grounds identified in subdivision (e) is filed beyond the relevant period provided, a court may grant permission for a party to proceed with the petition upon a showing of good cause.
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								(2)
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								The Judicial Council shall modify or develop the forms necessary to implement this subdivision.
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								(h)
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								This section shall become operative on January 1, 2027.
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				Section 265 of the 
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								(a)
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								A person who compels another person, unlawfully, against their will, and by force, menace, or duress, to marry them or to marry another
						person shall be punished by imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170.
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								(b)
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								This section shall be applied equally regardless of the age of the victim of a forced marriage at the time of the forced marriage.
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Last Version Text Digest

(1) Existing law makes it a crime for a person to take a woman unlawfully, against her will, and by force, menace, or duress, compel her to marry that person, to marry any other person, or to be defiled, as specified. This bill would eliminate the crime of compelling a person to be defiled. The bill would specify that the crime of compelling a person to marry shall be applied equally regardless of the age of the victim of a forced marriage at the time of the forced marriage. (2) Existing law provides that a marriage is voidable and may be adjudged a nullity if certain conditions existed at the time of the marriage, including, among others, the party commencing the proceeding was under the age of consent, either party was of unsound mind, the consent of either party was obtained by fraud or by force, or either party was, at the marriage, physically incapable of entering into the marriage state, and that incapacity continues, and appears to be incurable. Existing law requires a proceeding to obtain a judgment of nullity of marriage for the causes described above to be commenced by specified parties within specified periods, including, among others, by the party whose consent was obtained by fraud or by force, within 4 years after the marriage. This bill would, commencing January 1, 2027, authorize a court to grant permission, upon a showing of good cause, for a party to proceed with a petition for nullity of marriage that is filed beyond the relevant filing period if the party’s consent to the marriage was obtained by force. The bill would require the Judicial Council to modify or develop the forms necessary to implement those provisions.