A bill that would have banned marriages between cousins failed to pass the Florida Senate as lawmakers ran out of time during the legislative session. State Rep. Dean Black, who sponsored the bill, hopes lawmakers will take it up in the near future. “There are a lot of people here and you can find a lot of people to be your life partner without having to look for your cousin,” Black told Action News Jax.The bill states: “A man shall not marry any woman to whom he is directly related by blood…A woman shall not marry a man to whom she is directly related by blood.” According to the text of the bill, if the legislation is passed, incestuous marriages entered into after July 1 would not be recognized “for any purpose in this state.”Black said disagreements over other parts of the bill prevented the measure from passing before the end of the session.Florida is one of 16 states that has no restrictions on marrying a cousin. Cousins are people who have the same grandparents and, biologically speaking, have exactly 12.5% of their DNA in common.It is completely legal to marry a cousin in every state in the United StatesalabamaAlaskacaliforniacoloradoFloridaGeorgiahawaiiMarylandMassachusettsnew jerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth Carolina (except double cousins)rhode islandsouth carolinaVermontvirginiawashington d.c.States where you can marry your cousin under certain conditions:Arizona (both over 65, or one is infertile)Illinois (both over 50 years old, or one is infertile)Indiana (all over 65)Maine (both same-sex, or have received genetic counseling)Minnesota (Natives only)Utah (both over 65 years old, or both over 55 years old and one is infertile)Wisconsin (female over 55, or one person is infertile)In which states you can’t marry your cousin?ArkansasdelawareidahokansaskentuckyLouisianamississippimissouriMontananebraskanevadaNew Hampshirenorth dakotaOhioOklahomaoregonpennsylvaniasouth dakotaTexaswashingtonwest virginiaWyoming
