Florida bill aiming to ban marrying 1st cousins fails to pass: Reports

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FILE - Wedding bands seen in a photo. (Getty Images) 

A Florida bill aiming to ban marrying first cousins has failed to pass in the state’s senate, according to multiple reports.

The bill proposed that a man "may not marry any woman who is a lineal 619 descendent of his grandparent. A woman may not marry any man who is a lineal descendent of her grandparent."

What they're saying:

Rep. Dean Black told Action News Jax that he expected another vote on the same issue in the future.

"There are plenty of people here, and there are plenty of people you can find to be your lifelong partner without looking to your first cousin," Black said. "So, yes. I think it should come back whether it’s a standalone bill, whether it’s tagged onto some other bill. Not really sure. We’ll have to see."

Which states allow cousin marriage?

Dig deeper:

In the U.S., there are several states that allow marrying first cousins without restrictions, while others allow it under certain conditions, according to Newsweek. 

Those states include: 

• Florida
• Alabama
• Alaska
• New York
• California
• New Jersey
• Massachusetts
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Maryland
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Vermont
• Virginia
• DC

Thirty-two states have blanket bans on cousin marriages.