State Marriage Defense Act
The State Marriage Defense Act (, in the 113th Congress, , in the 114th Congress) was a proposed law introduced by Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah. The legislation would have defined the terms "spouse" and "marriage" when used in federal laws to always follow the definition used in the particular state where the law is applied. The bill was advocated for by conservative and Christian right organizations after United States v. Windsor, a Supreme Court case which struck down the federal ban on same-sex marriage ensured by the Defense of Marriage Act. History The legislation had 28 co-sponsors when it was introduced. In the wake of the Supreme Court United States v. Windsor decision, federal agencies such as the IRS use a "state of celebration" rule rather than a "state of domicile" rule to determine if a marriage is recognized. In response, the State Marriage Defense Act was introduced to the United States Senate on October 8, 2014, by Republican Senators Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah. The Act would, for federal purposes, prohibit the term "marriage" from referring to any relationship that an individual's state of residence does not recognize,