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.