NJ Bill Targeting Arranged Marriages Gets Senate Approval
The Senate on Thursday approved the bill in a 30-5 vote. It still has to go through the Assembly and be signed by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy if it is to become law.
April 13, 2018 at 01:16 PM
3 minute read
Photo: Getty Images/Purestock The New Jersey Senate approved legislation that would establish an absolute ban on anyone getting married before the age of 18.
The Senate on Thursday approved the bill in a 30-5 vote. It still has to go through the Assembly and be signed by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy if it is to become law.
Former Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, conditionally vetoed identical legislation last May.
If enacted, New Jersey would be the only state in the nation that would bar those under 18 from marrying. And judicial approval for underage marriages would no longer be allowed, unlike the present system.
“I am proud New Jersey is taking the lead nationally on this issue,” Sen. Nellie Pou, D-Passaic/Bergen, a bill sponsor, said in a statement. “Marriage is a legal contract and it should be reserved for adults.”
She added, “It is startling for people to learn that there are underage marriages happening in New Jersey, but there are.”
Another sponsor, Sen. Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, said in the statement: “Marriage is an adult decision and minors shouldn't be asked to enter into this kind of arrangement for any reason.”
Democratic Sen. Sandra Cunningham of Hudson County also is a sponsor.
Under current law, minors who are 16 or 17 can get married with parental consent. Minors under the age of 16 can be married after obtaining parental consent and the approval of a Superior Court judge.
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