US HB3485 | 2011-2012 | 112th Congress

Status

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 140-1)
Status: Introduced on November 18 2011 - 25% progression, died in committee
Action: 2012-03-29 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Pending: House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Committee
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Summary

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011 - Amends provisions of federal civil service law to extend employment-related and retirement benefits to domestic partners of federal employees and to set forth requirements for establishing a domestic partnership, including the filing of an affidavit attesting to the existence and legitimacy of the partnership. Modifies provisions relating to the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) to extend eligibility for annuity and survivor benefits to domestic partners of federal employees on the same basis as married employees. Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to prescribe regulations to provide that domestic partners and former domestic partners shall be considered as spouses or former spouses for purposes of creditable service determinations under CSRS and FERS. Makes domestic partners of federal employees eligible for: (1) the federal employee group life insurance (FEGLI) program, (2) federal employees health benefits (FEHB), (3) dental and vision benefit plans, and (4) long-term care insurance coverage. Grants the head of an federal agency authority to reimburse an employee for taxes incurred the domestic partner of such employee for travel or transportation reimbursements. Modifies provisions of the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) to make domestic partners of federal employees eligible for worker compensation benefits under such Act. Adds "domestic partner" to the list of relatives subject to restrictions on federal employment of relatives and related prohibitions. Includes a biological, adopted, or foster child of a domestic partner as a "son or daughter" for purposes of federal employee family and medical leave provisions. Allows a federal employee family and medical leave to care for a domestic partner. Requires the President to prescribe regulations necessary to ensure that specified provisions relating to the following are administered in a manner consistent with the purposes of this Act: (1) the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; (2) travel, transportation, and related payments and benefits under the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and for civilian employees of the Department of Defense (DOD); (3) certain benefits for members of the commissioned officer corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and (4) benefits related to federal employees or annuitants and benefits necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act. Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to make provisions of that Act applicable to domestic partners of federal employees to the same extent as married employees, including provisions relating to financial disclosure, government-wide limitations on outside earned income and employment, gifts to superiors and to federal employees, bribery, acceptance of travel expenses from nonfederal sources, taxes on self-dealing, and disqualification of a justice, judge, or magistrate judge. Requires reporting by: (1) the President on the implementation of this Act, and (2) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the effect of this Act on premiums or other periodic charges under FEHB and the impact of extending benefits to domestic partners on federal employee retention and recruitment efforts.

Tracking Information

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Title

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011

Sponsors

Sen. Tammy Baldwin [D-WI]Rep. Gary Ackerman [D-NY]Rep. Robert Andrews [D-NJ]Rep. Joe Baca [D-CA]
Rep. Ron Barber [D-AZ]Rep. Karen Bass [D-CA]Rep. Xavier Becerra [D-CA]Rep. Shelley Berkley [D-NV]
Rep. Howard Berman [D-CA]Rep. Timothy Bishop [D-NY]Rep. Earl Blumenauer [D-OR]Rep. Suzanne Bonamici [D-OR]
Rep. Leonard Boswell [D-IA]Rep. Robert Brady [D-PA]Rep. Bruce Braley [D-IA]Rep. Lois Capps [D-CA]
Rep. Michael Capuano [D-MA]Rep. Russ Carnahan [D-MO]Rep. John Carney [D-DE]Rep. Kathy Castor [D-FL]
Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA]Rep. David Cicilline [D-RI]Rep. Hansen Clarke [D-MI]Rep. Yvette Clarke [D-NY]
Rep. Lacy Clay [D-MO]Rep. James Clyburn [D-SC]Rep. Steve Cohen [D-TN]Rep. Gerald Connolly [D-VA]
Rep. John Conyers [D-MI]Rep. Joe Courtney [D-CT]Rep. Joseph Crowley [D-NY]Rep. Elijah Cummings [D-MD]
Rep. Susan Davis [D-CA]Rep. Peter DeFazio [D-OR]Rep. Diana DeGette [D-CO]Rep. Rosa DeLauro [D-CT]
Rep. Theodore Deutch [D-FL]Rep. John Dingell [D-MI]Rep. Lloyd Doggett [D-TX]Rep. Michael Doyle [D-PA]
Rep. Donna Edwards [D-MD]Rep. Keith Ellison [D-MN]Rep. Eliot Engel [D-NY]Rep. Anna Eshoo [D-CA]
Rep. Sam Farr [D-CA]Rep. Chaka Fattah [D-PA]Rep. Bob Filner [D-CA]Rep. Barney Frank [D-MA]
Rep. Marcia Fudge [D-OH]Rep. Charles Gonzalez [D-TX]Rep. Raul Grijalva [D-AZ]Rep. Luis Gutierrez [D-IL]
Rep. Janice Hahn [D-CA]Rep. Alcee Hastings [D-FL]Sen. Martin Heinrich [D-NM]Rep. Brian Higgins [D-NY]
Rep. James Himes [D-CT]Rep. Maurice Hinchey [D-NY]Sen. Mazie Hirono [D-HI]Rep. Rush Holt [D-NJ]
Rep. Michael Honda [D-CA]Rep. Jay Inslee [D-WA]Rep. Steve Israel [D-NY]Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D-TX]
Rep. Jesse Jackson [D-IL]Rep. Eddie Johnson [D-TX]Rep. Henry Johnson [D-GA]Rep. Marcy Kaptur [D-OH]
Rep. William Keating [D-MA]Rep. Ron Kind [D-WI]Rep. Dennis Kucinich [D-OH]Rep. James Langevin [D-RI]
Rep. John Larson [D-CT]Rep. Barbara Lee [D-CA]Rep. Sander Levin [D-MI]Rep. John Lewis [D-GA]
Rep. David Loebsack [D-IA]Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA]Rep. Nita Lowey [D-NY]Rep. Carolyn Maloney [D-NY]
Sen. Edward Markey [D-MA]Rep. Doris Matsui [D-CA]Rep. Carolyn McCarthy [D-NY]Rep. Betty McCollum [D-MN]
Rep. Jim McDermott [D-WA]Rep. James McGovern [D-MA]Rep. Michael Michaud [D-ME]Rep. Brad Miller [D-NC]
Rep. George Miller [D-CA]Rep. Gwen Moore [D-WI]Rep. James Moran [D-VA]Sen. Christopher Murphy [D-CT]
Rep. Jerrold Nadler [D-NY]Rep. Grace Napolitano [D-CA]Rep. Richard Neal [D-MA]Rep. Eleanor Norton [D-DC]
Rep. John Olver [D-MA]Rep. Frank Pallone [D-NJ]Rep. Bill Pascrell [D-NJ]Rep. Ed Pastor [D-AZ]
Rep. Ed Perlmutter [D-CO]Sen. Gary Peters [D-MI]Rep. Chellie Pingree [D-ME]Rep. Jared Polis [D-CO]
Rep. David Price [D-NC]Rep. Mike Quigley [D-IL]Rep. Charles Rangel [D-NY]Rep. Silvestre Reyes [D-TX]
Rep. Laura Richardson [D-CA]Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen [R-FL]Rep. Steven Rothman [D-NJ]Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard [D-CA]
Rep. Bobby Rush [D-IL]Rep. Tim Ryan [D-OH]Rep. Linda Sanchez [D-CA]Rep. John Sarbanes [D-MD]
Rep. Janice Schakowsky [D-IL]Rep. Adam Schiff [D-CA]Rep. Allyson Schwartz [D-PA]Rep. Robert Scott [D-VA]
Rep. Jose Serrano [D-NY]Rep. Brad Sherman [D-CA]Rep. Albio Sires [D-NJ]Rep. Louise Slaughter [D-NY]
Rep. Adam Smith [D-WA]Rep. Jackie Speier [D-CA]Rep. Fortney Stark [D-CA]Rep. Betty Sutton [D-OH]
Rep. John Tierney [D-MA]Rep. Paul Tonko [D-NY]Rep. Edolphus Towns [D-NY]Rep. Niki Tsongas [D-MA]
Sen. Chris Van Hollen [D-MD]Rep. Nydia Velazquez [D-NY]Rep. Timothy Walz [D-MN]Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz [D-FL]
Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]Rep. Henry Waxman [D-CA]Sen. Peter Welch [D-VT]Rep. Lynn Woolsey [D-CA]
Rep. John Yarmuth [D-KY]

History

DateChamberAction
2012-03-29HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
2011-12-02HouseReferred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.
2011-11-18HouseReferred to House Judiciary
2011-11-18HouseReferred to House House Administration
2011-11-18HouseReferred to House Education and the Workforce
2011-11-18HouseReferred to House Oversight and Government Reform
2011-11-18HouseReferred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, House Administration, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Same As/Similar To

SB1910 (Related) 2012-12-19 - Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 572.

Subjects


US Congress State Sources


Bill Comments

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