California bans child marriage, a practice still legal in 32 US states

What the report says

California has become the latest U.S. state to ban child marriage after Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation setting 18 as the minimum age to wed in the state. According to BBC World News, the measure will take effect on 1 January and ends a practice that had remained legal in California with parental consent and judicial approval.

Newsom described the change as a long overdue step to protect young Californians and minors. He signed the bill alongside Courtney Stodden, who has campaigned against child marriage since she married actor Doug Hutchison as a teenager. Stodden called the law a victory and said survivors should never have been expected to carry that burden.

The BBC reported that other survivors also welcomed the move. Brittany Bee, who said she was married at 17, said the law sent a message of hope for children and for their freedom from abuse. Sara Tasneen, who said she was forced to marry at 15, described the outcome as surreal after years of lobbying.

The report says California is the 18th state to ban child marriage since 2018, while child marriage remains legal in 32 U.S. states. Advocacy group Unchained At Last says the issue has often involved girls marrying adult men and has trapped some minors in abusive relationships. The change matters because it closes a legal gap that critics say has enabled coercion and made divorce difficult for minors.