FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A bill that would ban most child marriages in Kentucky is now headed to the governor's desk.
The state House of Representatives unanimously approved Senate bill 48 on Friday. It would ban any marriage in Kentucky if one of the parties is 16 or younger. Seventeen-year-olds can still get married, but they would need approval from a judge and their parents.
The bill says 17-year-olds would have to prove their "maturity and capacity for self-sufficiency" by having a job and housing for at least three months plus a high school diploma or equivalent degree or job training certificate.
Right now, Kentucky has no minimum age limit for marriage. Children younger than 16 can get married with a judge's permission as long as one of the parties is pregnant.
