JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Missouri lawmakers are moving to end the state's status as the easiest place in the country for a 15-year-old to be married.
The Kansas City Star reports that the Missouri House voted Wednesday to attach an amendment to a Senate bill to establish a minimum age for marriage. The bill then was passed out of the House. It now goes back to the Senate, which can approve the changes the House made and send the bill to the governor for his signature or veto.
The amendment would make 16 the minimum age for marriage in Missouri and would prohibit marriage between a minor and anyone 21 or older. The amendment also would require minors to receive written consent from a parent or guardian before being married.