California legislature votes to ban child marriage and empower forced marriage victims
The two bills are yet to be signed into law, as they await Governor Gavin Newsom's signature. If confirmed, the legislation will take effect on January 1, 2027.
California's state legislature has passed two bills aimed at banning child marriage and supporting victims of forced marriage. Assembly Bill 1267 prohibits any person under 18 from obtaining a marriage license or entering a domestic partnership, while Assembly Bill 2534 integrates forced marriage into the state's Domestic Violence Prevention Act.
This enables victims to obtain civil restraining orders against individuals who coerce, facilitate, or arrange unwanted unions. As of now, these bills await Governor Gavin Newsom's signature before becoming law and taking effect on January 1, 2027. According to the Tahiri Justice Center, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, California will then become the 18th state to completely ban child marriage, and AB 2534 will establish the first forced marriage protection order in the country.
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