Legislation would give domestic partners federal benefits

Domestic partners of federal employees would receive the same benefits as spouses under a bill introduced in the House Wednesday. The Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (H.R. 638), introduced by Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., gives the same or opposite sex domestic partner of a federal employee access to benefits, including health and life insurance, retirement benefits and compensation for work injuries. Spouses of federal employees are already eligible for these and other benefits. "At a time when the salary gap between government and private sector employees with similar jobs is increasing," he said, "it simply makes sense to add a low-cost benefit to help attract more qualified people to the federal government, and make it easier to retain them once they start work," said Frank, who is openly gay. "Corporations are not required to do this in most places-they do it because it helps attract high-quality employees," said Frank. The bill's definition of a domestic partner is an adult at least 18 years of age, living with, but not married to, another adult person in a committed, intimate relationship.

In the case of an employee's death, the domestic partner will be treated as a spouse for the purpose of receiving benefits. If the couple breaks up, the domestic partner is no longer eligible for benefits, but can receive health insurance for 60 days after the relationship ends. Under the bill, an employee must file an affidavit of eligibility with the Office of Personnel Management certifying that the employee and the domestic partner live together and are committed to one another. Falsifying the affidavit could lead to disciplinary action and recovery of the cost of benefits provided. Frank introduced similar legislation last year, but it didn't make it to the House floor for a vote.