Bill Aims to Make Living in Sin Legal in Florida

Shacking up can cost Florida couples who opt to live together without the benefit of marriage up to $500 and 60 days in jail.

That’s according to an old state law put on the books back in the 1800s.

The problem, several state lawmakers say, is that the old statute remains on the books. In essence, Florida’s cohabitation law makes it a crime for couples to forgo vows and go straight to enjoying shared living arrangements and any benefits that might go along with them.

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Florida Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, and state Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach, have both filed bills for this legislative session to change the rules to better reflect the times.

Sobel’s Senate version of the bill effectively repeals the cohabitation rules that make it a second-degree misdemeanor for men and women to live together unmarried. It also removes a clause that enables judges to stop parents from having contact with children if they have been convicted of violating the state’s cohabitation law.

Pafford, who introduced similar legislation in the House, says the old law, which went on the books back when President Andrew Johnson was in office, is a bigger problem than people realize.

“It happens to democrats, republicans and independents, your newest growing category, so this should really be a no brainer,” CBS quoted Pafford as saying.

About 700 people have faced charges under the law since its introduction, the network reported.

If the bills meet the muster with legislators, the revisions will take effect July 1. A similar effort was staged in 2011, however, but was unsuccessful.

Image via Shutterstock

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