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(Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

The Alabama Senate has passed a bill that would eliminate marriage licenses and instead have marriages recorded by probate judges.

The bill, by Sen. Greg Albritton, R-Range, now moves to the House.

Similar bills have been proposed the last two years, since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states had to allow same-sex marriages and recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

Probate judges in some Alabama counties stopped issuing marriage licenses altogether after the 2015 ruling. As of October, probate judges in eight counties were not issuing licenses.

Under Albritton's bill, a couple would submit a document to the probate judge signed by both parties that would include notarized affidavits certifying that they are of legal age, not already married and not related by blood or adoption.

The bill passed by a vote of 22-6.