NEW YORK, March 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Lawmakers in the U.S. state of Florida approved a bill on Friday banning child marriage under the age of 17, one of the strictest measures in the nation, advocates said.
The measure, which goes to the governor for signature, is a compromise reached this week by legislators after an earlier version sought to ban marriage for anyone under 18.
The Florida governor intends to sign the bill into law, a spokeswoman said.
Child marriage is legal across the United States. While 18 is typically the minimum age, every state has legal loopholes or exceptions allowing children to wed at a younger age.
Under the new Florida measure, children aged 17 can marry with parental consent but face requirements such as a premarital preparation course. Also, 17-year-olds cannot marry someone more than two years older.
"I'm very happy, even though it's not at the top line of 18. I can deal with the line of 17 with all of the requirements," said Sherry Johnson, a former child bride who had helped promote the measure.
"It eliminates just getting married," Johnson told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "You have to show responsibility to get married."
