New Legislation Proposed to Equalize Same-Sex Social Security Benefits

At a rally last Sunday at the Los Angeles GLBT center, Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-Lakewood) announced that she was sponsoring legislation to provide equal Social Security benefits for same-sex couples. Sanchez is a member of the House Subcommittee on Social Security. Currently, same-sex couples who pay into social security are denied Social Security survivor benefits when partners who paid into social security die, because the federal government does not recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships as valid relationships. The bill proposes that same-sex registered domestic partners, or those with civil unions or marriages receive the same coverage as heterosexual couples receive. The bill calls for the Social Security Administration to recognize civil unions or domestic partnerships as valid relationships for the purpose of disbursing survivor benefits that heterosexual couples with a marriage certificate currently receive. The language of the bill is such that it might not fall under the axe of DOMA. You can read the Los Angeles Times' coverage of the rally here.

Rep. Judy Chu (D-El Monte), who also attended the rally, has offered to coauthor the bill. This is an important initiative since it doesn't deal so much with same-sex marriage as it does with a recognized financial burden unfairly places on same-sex couples, who pay into a system that they do not benefit from equally. It's one of the many financial differences between the benefits of a legally recognized marriage, and same-sex unions. It's a step to equalizing the unfair tax burden that same-sex couples face.

You can contact Representative Sanchez and contact Representative Chu here. Let's support this effort.