New York outlaws child marriage under 17

Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed legislation raising the age of consent to marry from 14 to 18 years old, with a caveat that 17-year-olds wishing to marry must get approval from their parents and a judge.

Now, the law expressly prohibits anyone under the age of 17 from getting married and provides guidance for judges who are tasked with making a determination as to whether or not a 17-year-old may get married.

Advocates for the law told the Associated Press in February that thousands of young teenagers are forced into marriage.

"This administration has worked tirelessly to defend exploited and disadvantaged New Yorkers, provide minors with the rights and protections they deserve and ensure that women are empowered to have control over their lives, and with this legislation, we continue to help protect those who can not protect themselves", Said Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Opponents of the bill argued that such a ban infringes upon religious freedom and customs.

In most states, for example, 16- and 17-year-olds can marry with parental permission, and some states allow children to marry if one is pregnant or just given birth, according to the Pew Research Center. He instead proposed a bill that would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to Wednesday with the permission from a family court judge.

The law on the books, until Tuesday, was passed in 1929 and allowed children as young as 14 to be married with parental permission as well as permission from a judge.

Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.

"This administration has worked tirelessly to defend exploited and disadvantaged New Yorkers, provide minors with the rights and protections that they deserve, and ensure that women are empowered to have control over their own lives, and with this legislation, we continue to help protect those who can not protect themselves", Governor Cuomo said.

Child brides are 31% more likely to live in poverty when they are older and three times more likely to be victims of domestic abuse than women who get married later, it said.

Researchers have found significant associations between child marriage and mental and physical health disorders.

Cuomo has previously been in the news for his cybersecurity efforts as governor, spearheading a push for a regulation aimed at protecting the financial services industry from cyberattacks that went into effect in March. "It is a national shame that so many of these marriages are happening in the USA", she said. In more than half of all states, there is no minimum age for marriage. "The US, through its foreign aid programs, has been a leader in urging an end to child marriage in other regions, including Africa and Asia, but shockingly, virtually all US states still allow it".