Delaware · 153rd General Assembly (2025-2026) · Bill
HB 8: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MARRIAGES.
Did not advance Official data
- Introduced
- In committee
- Passed one chamber
- Passed both chambers
- Enacted
- Did not advance
Last official action: ·Record last updated:
Plain-language summary
HB 8 is a bill introduced in the Delaware House on March 6, 2025. According to its official title, it concerns: AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 13 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO MARRIAGES. Primary sponsor: Madinah Wilson-Anton (Democratic), Laura Sturgeon (Democratic). It lists 1 additional sponsor. Most recent recorded action (May 6, 2025): Defeated By House. Votes: 12 YES 23 NO 1 NOT VOTING 5 ABSENT.
Generated automatically from the official title, sponsor list, and status record only. It does not characterize the bill’s purpose or effects. How summaries are written
Official summary
Abstract published by the legislature (via Open States). Text as published by the legislature; reproduced verbatim.
This Act amends Delaware’s marriage laws to recognize a valid marriage between first cousins obtained or recognized outside of Delaware (either in another state or territory of the United States or foreign country) as a valid and legal marriage in Delaware. This Act does not legalize the performance of marriages between first cousins within the State of Delaware. U.S. Immigration Services only recognizes marriages for immigrating couples as “valid” if the marriage is valid both where the marriage was performed and in the state where the couple is currently living or planning to live. Couples planning to settle in Delaware have been advised by federal officials to move to neighboring states that recognize marriages between first cousins as legal, leading to loss of economic activity to the state and unnecessary financial hardships for families seeking legal reunification. This substitute bill makes a technical correction and removes subsections of the Code that are unchanged.
Sponsors
Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 3
| Name | Role | Party | Chamber | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madinah Wilson-Anton | Primary sponsor | Democratic | House | 26 |
| Laura Sturgeon | Primary sponsor | Democratic | Senate | 4 |
| Nnamdi Chukwuocha | Co-sponsor | Democratic | House | 1 |
“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.
Recent official actions
- Defeated By House. Votes: 12 YES 23 NO 1 NOT VOTING 5 ABSENT
- Reported Out of Committee (Health & Human Development) in House with 1 Favorable, 9 On Its Merits
- Adopted in lieu of the original bill HB 8, and Assigned to Health & Human Development Committee in House