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HR 3485 112th Congress House Government Operations and Politics Administrative law and regulatory procedures Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management Marriage and family status Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination

Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act of 2011

Introduced: November 18, 2011 Introduced by: Baldwin, Tammy Democratic · Wisconsin See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 29, 2012
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Dec 2, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law.
Nov 18, 2011
Referred 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.
Nov 18, 2011
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

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.

What's happening now March 29, 2012

Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

 Committees of jurisdiction 6
 Cosponsors 43
D
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"
Virginia · Oct 19, 2012
D
Waters, Maxine
California · Oct 19, 2012
D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Sep 21, 2012
D
Chu, Judy
California · Sep 19, 2012
D
Clarke, Yvette D.
New York · Sep 19, 2012
D
Clyburn, James E.
South Carolina · Sep 19, 2012
D
Keating, William R.
Massachusetts · Sep 19, 2012
D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Sep 19, 2012
D
Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Florida · Sep 14, 2012
D
DeLauro, Rosa L.
Connecticut · Sep 13, 2012
D
Hirono, Mazie K.
Hawaii · Sep 13, 2012
D
Johnson, Henry C. "Hank"
Georgia · Sep 11, 2012
D
Larson, John B.
Connecticut · Sep 11, 2012
D
Pallone, Frank
New Jersey · Sep 11, 2012
D
Peters, Gary C.
Michigan · Sep 11, 2012
D
Sánchez, Linda T.
California · Sep 11, 2012
D
Velázquez, Nydia M.
New York · Sep 11, 2012
D
Kaptur, Marcy
Ohio · May 30, 2012
D
Murphy, Christopher
Connecticut · May 30, 2012
D
Tonko, Paul
New York · Apr 16, 2012
D
Bonamici, Suzanne
Oregon · Mar 21, 2012
D
Himes, James A.
Connecticut · Mar 20, 2012
D
Castor, Kathy
Florida · Mar 8, 2012
D
Courtney, Joe
Connecticut · Mar 6, 2012
D
Schiff, Adam B.
California · Mar 6, 2012
D
Sherman, Brad
California · Mar 6, 2012
D
Heinrich, Martin
New Mexico · Feb 27, 2012
D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Feb 14, 2012
D
Matsui, Doris O.
California · Dec 5, 2011
D
Cohen, Steve
Tennessee · Nov 18, 2011
D
DeGette, Diana
Colorado · Nov 18, 2011
D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Nov 18, 2011
D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Nov 18, 2011
D
McCollum, Betty
Minnesota · Nov 18, 2011
D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Nov 18, 2011
D
Moore, Gwen
Wisconsin · Nov 18, 2011
D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Nov 18, 2011
D
Pingree, Chellie
Maine · Nov 18, 2011
D
Quigley, Mike
Illinois · Nov 18, 2011
D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Nov 18, 2011
D
Smith, Adam
Washington · Nov 18, 2011
D
Van Hollen, Chris
Maryland · Nov 18, 2011
D
Welch, Peter
Vermont · Nov 18, 2011