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Definition of Family Changes in Delaware

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - The state House is set to vote on bill change the definition of family under Delaware law to make references to couples gender neutral.

The legislation to be voted on Tuesday eliminates "husband and wife" from among the relationships that constitute a family, inserting instead the word "spouses."

The bill also strikes language referring to a "man and woman" cohabitating with a child, replacing it with the word "couple."

While making references to adults living together gender-neutral, the legislation maintains other gender-specific language in the law, including the terms father, mother, brother, sister, son and daughter.

Don Rush is the News Director at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.