A new law is raising the legal age of marriage in Maine from 17 to 18.

The state first established a minimum age of 16 in 2020 and then raised it to 17 in 2023.

Democratic Representative Laura Supica of Bangor sponsored the bill to raise the age to 18, saying it’ll eliminate the forced marriage of minors, who don’t have the same legal rights.

In her testimony before a committee supporting the bill, Supica noted that 17-year-olds are not equipped to navigate the legal system and said “those who marry at 17 years old also (have) high rates of divorce.

“Too many children are forced into marriages, and while even those over 18 years of age can be forced, the difference is that when they are able to flee, they have greater access to services to help them sufficiently escape an abuser,” Supica said in her testimony. “By raising the age requirement from 17 to 18 years old to marry, we can eliminate this danger.”

The bill had nine co-sponsors, including eight Democrats and one Republican. It was backed by the group Unchained at Last, which issued a statement Tuesday praising its enactment.

The new law will go into effect without the signature of Governor Janet Mills, who had until Monday to sign or veto it. The law will be enacted 90 days after this year’s legislative session ends.

Maine will become the 14th state of ban underage marriage.