Marriage Protection Act of 2005

H.R. 1100, the Marriage Protection Act of 2005, sought to limit the power of federal courts to rule on certain aspects of marriage law. Specifically, the bill would have prevented federal courts from hearing or deciding cases regarding the section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) that allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. If passed, this legislation would have shifted the final authority on these legal interpretations away from federal judges and the Supreme Court, leaving such decisions primarily to state courts.