Lake County Gazette

State Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) has thrown his support behind legislation seeking to amend the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act requiring proof that both parties are 18 when they obtain a marriage license and certificate.

“Anything that we can do to protect children is vital and near and dear to my heart,” Bos, who worked at a non-profit to support child victims of sexual exploitation prior to arriving in Springfield, told the Lake County Gazette. “I have another bill that I put forth, HB 4593 that also protects kids. Right now, the way the law is written, someone charged with sex assault of a minor needs to only reasonably believe that person was 18 at the time, not be sure, just believe it. My bill would repeal that and put in place another step to protect kids.”

HB4704 would also repeal a provision related to judicial approval of underage marriages.

Since arriving in Springfield, Bos has pushed for policies that target the perpetrators of exploitation and increase protections for their victims. With January being National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, he recently filed four bills, including HB 4593, aimed at improving protections for victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation.

House Bill 4592 “increases penalties for human traffickers and abusers who target children in particularly vulnerable settings, such as shelters and safes houses for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, homelessness or even foster care.” The measure would also increase penalties for repeat offenders who illegally solicit sex from adults, children or a person with an intellectual disability.

House Bill 4407 would require individuals convicted of “involuntary sexual servitude of a minor” (underage sex trafficking or pimping) to register as a sex offender and HB 4402 creates the Human Trafficking Order of Protection Act to provide the same protection status to human trafficking victims that those of other forms of abuse can access.

While current state law permits people ages 16 and 17 to get married if they have parental consent, Bos admits he still has concerns.

“There are obviously some developmental challenges with growth and maturity,” he said. “The mental manipulation and grooming of younger people by older ones has to be a concern.”

Bos said he finds it critical that county clerks be required to verify the ages of individuals before issuing them a marriage license and certificate.

“We need to be sure,” he said. “This is a verification of who they are and this is part of the process. People can look older or even younger than they are and this is a way to verify that they’re who they say they are and that they are the age they claim to be.”

A former Ela Township Board trustee, Bos was elected to serve the 51st District in November 2020. Bos has a long history of community service through his work with non-profits and volunteer work across the community. He volunteers with the PTO in Lake Zurich, serves as a precinct committee member and has been a youth soccer coach and is actively involved with the food pantries in the community.