California Bans Under-18 Marriage, Sets New Age Limit

WASHINGTON, DC-California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation banning marriage for anyone younger than 18, removing provisions that allowed minors to marry with parental consent. The law also sets 18 as the minimum age for entering a domestic partnership.

The measure, AB 1267, was introduced by Democratic Assemblymember Gail Pellerin of Santa Cruz. Newsom signed the bill in his office on September 30 alongside Courtney Stodden, an advocate and survivor of child marriage whose parents allowed her to marry 50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison when she was 16.

“This is a long overdue measure to protect young Californians and minors. Today, California kids are safer than ever before,” Newsom said.

The legislation repeals provisions that allowed minors to enter into marriages or domestic partnerships with parental consent and sets 18 as the minimum age for both. Its sponsors were Unchained At Last, an organization campaigning against child marriage, and the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

The governor’s office described Stodden as a survivor of child marriage who became a national advocate against child exploitation following her divorce. Stodden has characterized her relationship as abusive and predatory, the office said.

Her experience was highlighted at the signing as supporters pointed to the difficulties minors can face when trying to leave marriages arranged or approved by adults.

Pellerin credited survivors with shaping the legislation, saying their accounts showed how parental approval or the appearance of agreement could conceal coercion. “The heart of this effort has always been the survivors,” Pellerin said. “They told us what it means to be a child in a marriage you did not freely choose. They told us about coercion and abuse hidden behind the appearance of consent.”

Marriage requirements in the United States are principally governed by state law. Minimum ages and exceptions have differed across jurisdictions, making efforts to prohibit child marriage a state-by-state issue.

The governor’s office said 17 US states had completely banned child marriage without exception. Unchained At Last has campaigned for an absolute minimum marriage age of 18, with survivors such as Stodden advocating for legislation across the country.  (IANS)