The Pennsylvania State House of Representatives approved legislation that would formally codify marriage equality into state law.
If House Bill 1800 is signed into law, the bill would repeal language from the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a union strictly between one man and one woman.
While same-sex marriage has been legal in Pennsylvania since a 2014 federal court ruling and nationwide since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision, the language remains on the books. Advocates argue that leaving these “trigger” provisions intact leaves Pennsylvania families vulnerable should federal protections ever be reconsidered by the high court.
“No family should have to live with the fear that their right to marry could be taken away,” said State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia), the bill’s prime sponsor. “This legislation gives them certainty. It says clearly: in Pennsylvania, your marriage is protected, and that will not change.”
Governor Shapiro also celebrated the vote posting on social media, ““Here in Pennsylvania, we believe in your freedom to marry who you love,” said Shapiro. “Today, the House has stepped up to protect that right.”
Some Republican lawmakers have questioned the necessity of the bill, arguing that current Supreme Court precedent makes the state law moot. Others expressed concerns that the broader package of LGBTQ+ legislation—which includes the Fairness Act (HB 300)—could have unintended consequences regarding gender identity in sports and public accommodations.
While the marriage equality bill has momentum, the Fairness Act, was sidelined in the House due to a lack of sufficient votes for passage.
The same-sex marriage bill now heads to the Republican-controlled State Senate, where its future is uncertain.
