Same-sex marriage bill moves forward in the U.S. House.

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The Respect for Marriage Act would force states to recognize legal unions from other states if the Supreme Court were to overturn federal protections.

Legal Analyst A.C Rieman said the bill is a big decision in the wake of recent events such as Roe v. Wade being overturned. She said the senate tackling the bill is better for the greater good.

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday to protect same-sex marriages, a sign of shifting national politics on the issue and a measure of relief for the hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples who have married since the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision that legalized gay marriage nationwide.

‘It’s a matter of balancing what are the constitutional rights that people have in America?’ and ‘What are the measures of equality that we’re willing to tolerate here in Virginia?,” Rieman said.

Supporters of the bill hope to see it pass the U.S. House by the end of the year.