TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate failed to pass a bill that would have prohibited residents from marrying their first cousins.
The bill, HB733, sought to end the state’s recognition of incestuous marriages starting in July 2026.
Florida is still among the states where marrying a first cousin is legal. The legislation seeks to bring the state in line with the majority of the United States, which has already prohibited the practice.
The proposed legislation outlined particular family relationships that would be prohibited under the new law.
A man would be forbidden from marrying his sister, aunt, niece, or any woman related to him through direct bloodlines.
The law specified that a woman could not marry her brother, uncle, nephew, or any man related to her by direct bloodline.
If the bill had passed, Florida would not have recognized these marriages for any purpose.
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