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AB-1134 • 2026

Coerced marriage.

Coerced marriage.

Crime
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Bains
Last action
2025-10-11
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 633, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide an effective date, only that changes will start from January 1, 2027.

Coerced Marriage Law

This law makes it illegal for someone to force another person into marriage against their will and updates rules about when a forced marriage can be ended.

What This Bill Does

  • Makes it illegal to use force, threats, or pressure to make someone marry anyone, including the person forcing them.
  • Removes the punishment for forcing someone to have sex without consent in marriage.
  • Ensures that laws against forced marriages apply equally to people of all ages.
  • Allows courts to consider cases where a forced marriage happened more than 4 years ago if there's good reason starting from January 1, 2027.
  • Requires judges to create new forms to help with these changes.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who might be forced into marriages against their will
  • Courts and judges dealing with marriage nullity cases

Terms To Know

Nullity of Marriage
A legal decision that a marriage is not valid from the start.
Good Cause
Reasons that are important and convincing enough to allow something special or unusual to happen.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not say what happens if someone tries to force marriage after the effective date but before January 1, 2027.
  • It is unclear how courts will decide what constitutes 'good cause' for filing a petition beyond the usual time limit.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-11 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 633, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-11 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-11 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Ordered to Engrossing and Enrolling.

  5. 2025-09-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0. Page 2523.).

  6. 2025-09-02 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to special consent calendar.

  7. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 29).

  9. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

  10. 2025-07-08 California Legislative Information

    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.

  11. 2025-06-25 California Legislative Information

    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.

  12. 2025-06-11 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.

  13. 2025-06-03 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  14. 2025-06-02 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 79. Noes 0. Page 1879.)

  15. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  16. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 23).

  17. 2025-05-07 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

  18. 2025-04-28 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR. pursuant to Joint Rule 10.5.

  19. 2025-04-24 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  20. 2025-04-23 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  21. 2025-04-22 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 12. Noes 0.) (April 22).

  22. 2025-04-09 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 8. Noes 0.) (April 8). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  23. 2025-04-02 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  24. 2025-04-01 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.

  25. 2025-03-11 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  26. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on PUB. S. Read second time and amended.

  27. 2025-03-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on PUB. S.

  28. 2025-02-21 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

  29. 2025-02-20 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1134, Bains.
Coerced marriage.
(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.

Current Bill Text

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