WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has approved the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (DPBO) S. 1910. The bill, sponsored by Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME), would provide benefits for same-sex domestic partners of federal civilian employees on the same basis as spousal benefits. These benefits would include participation in applicable retirement programs, life and health insurance benefits, and family and medical leave. LGBT groups are calling on the full Senate to pass DPBO.
Currently, 60 percent of Fortune 500 companies provide domestic partner benefits to their employees. Many of America’s leading companies, including defense giant Raytheon, IBM, Microsoft, Shell Oil, Walt Disney, Owens Corning, Citigroup, Whirlpool, Time Warner, and United and American Airlines offer these benefits. In addition, twenty-four states, the District of Columbia, and more than 100 local governments offer their public employees these benefits.
