US EditionFlorida Bill Against Marrying Your First Cousin Fails
Florida remains one of 18 states allowing first-cousin marriage after the Senate failed to pass HB733 amid legislative gridlock in the 2026 session.
- The Florida Senate failed to pass House Bill 733, leaving Florida as one of 18 states where marrying a first cousin remains legal. Lawmakers adjourned without approving the measure.
- State Representative Dean Black attempted to attach the ban to a Florida Department of Health bill, but disagreements over other measures caused legislative gridlock. Lawmakers ran out of time during the session.
- Doug Schmidt from Cape Coral expressed confusion over the lack of action, saying "It should have been banned many years ago." Such unions account for about 250,000 marriages nationwide.
- While West Virginia banned the practice in 1955, Florida remains an outlier among states without limitations. Residents are still permitted to marry first cousins despite the Sunshine State banning most other family unions.
42 Articles
42 Articles
The regulations on marriage ties in Florida will remain unchanged after the failure of a measure that sought to tighten the laws of consanguinity.The HB-733 project aimed to ban unions between cousins, but was rejected in the Senate. Elements of the legislation and debate in the Florida Congress on this type of marriageThis result means that Florida will maintain one of the most tolerant legal frameworks in the country regarding family relations…
Florida bill against first cousins getting married fails
Envato stock image CAPE CORAL, Florida (WBBH) — Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal, a fact that surprises many residents and has sparked questions about why the practice remains permissible. West Virginia, which is often joked about for cousin marriages, banned the practice in 1955, but Florida has yet to follow suit. If Florida lawmakers had passed House Bill 733, cousin marriages would have been banned, but t…
Lawmakers rejected the bill
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