Catholic Conference of Ohio The official voice of the Catholic Church in Ohio on matters of public policy and government relations.

The Catholic Conference of Ohio testified in support of Senate Bill 341 (D-DeMora | R-Blessing) to raise the legal age to marry from 17 to 18. CCO stated, "90% of children married in Ohio between 2000 and 2024 were girls married to adult men. Once a minor gets married, the child is legally emancipated from their parents, who no longer bear responsibility for caring for the child or providing financial support. This creates a vulnerable situation for young people seeking to flee violence and abuse as they often face hindrances to bringing a legal action in their own name and experience barriers to support, such as domestic violence shelters, due to being underage... The Church teaches that 'the consent [to marry] must be an act of the will of the contracting parties, free of coercion or grave external fear. No human power can substitute for this consent.' (CCC, 1628). Weighing the short time frame of one year before a minor can access adult rights and privileges against the risk that some will exploit the legal loophole to facilitate exploitation, it is fitting that the law aligns the age of marriage with the age at which individuals can legally consent to contractual obligations.”

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The Catholic Conference of Ohio submitted interested party testimony on HB 795, urging the House Medicaid Committee not to reverse the years-long policy of supporting family caregivers, and instead to seek targeted, proportional means to address bad actors committing fraud and abuse. CCO wrote, "Many family members forego other employment opportunities and struggle to make ends meet as they selflessly work to sustain the lives of their loved ones in need of this [life-sustaining] assistance. This is a clear, pro-family policy for those who need it most. [Family members] receiving payments for essential care should not lose the small benefits they receive because of bad actors who must be held accountable."

UPDATE: HB 795 has been amended to remove the ban on family members' ability to be paid by Medicaid for providing personal care services to relatives. We are grateful for this revision. 

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