Missouri Senate approves initial bill to ban child marriage for all minors under 18.

Missouri Senate has given initial approval to a bipartisan bill that would ban child marriage, prohibiting marriage licenses for anyone younger than 18 under any circumstances. Current laws allow 16 and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent, while marriages between minors and those aged 21 or older are already prohibited. The proposed legislation would make Missouri one of 11 states to ban child marriage.