This legislative proposal, known as the Consanguineous Marriage Prohibition Act of 2026 , seeks to establish a federal prohibition on marriages between individuals who are closely related. Its primary objective is to prevent unions between persons related by either affinity or consanguinity up to the degree of a first cousin. The bill accomplishes this by amending Section 7 of title 1, United States Code, which defines marriage. Specifically, the amendment modifies the existing language to clarify that marriage is between "2 individuals who are not related by affinity or consanguinity within the degree of first cousin." This change would introduce a nationwide standard, federally outlawing marriages between close relatives. The legislation aims to codify a uniform restriction on such marital relationships across the United States.