By Melanie Nathan
Bill Fixing Inequalities Between Domestic Partnership, Marriage Advances: SB 651, the Domestic Partnership Equality Act, eliminates statutory differences between marriage and domestic partnerships

Sacramento: The Capitol by Kristina Lapinski, GAY USA the Movie

SACRAMENTO – Legislation that removes inequalities between domestic partnership and marriage passed the Assembly today. Senate Bill 651, authored by Senator Mark Leno, eliminates important legal differences that continue to exist between domestic partnerships and marriage. The legislation, known as the Domestic Partnership Equality Act, ends the requirement that couples must reside in the same household, allows same-sex couples to enter into a confidential domestic partnership and removes age restrictions that do not apply to marriages.

“By maintaining different requirements for domestic partners and married couples, California law continues to be inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s ruling that all couples be treated equally,” said Senator Leno (D-San Francisco). “This bill will remedy some of those final inequities, including whether couples must live at the same residence before applying for a domestic partnership. As we inch ever closer to equality, the only way to ensure fair treatment is to allow all loving couples the right to marry, but this is a step in the right direction.” he said.

SB 651 closes the gap on some of the remaining differences between marriage and domestic partnership in California. However, same-sex couples still are denied more than 1,000 federal rights that come only with marriage.

The Domestic Partnership Equality Act is sponsored by Equality California.

“Committed same-sex couples in California continue to experience harm every day without the freedom to marry,” said Roland Palencia, Executive Director of Equality California. “The Domestic Partnership Equality Act helps to lessen some of those harms and inequities in the state of California, and we thank Senator Leno for his continued leadership in the fight for full equality.”

In addition to addressing inequalities between domestic partnership and marriage, SB 651 allows same-sex couples who married in California, but have since moved to another state, to petition for a divorce if one is not allowed in the state where the couple currently resides. The bill now returns to the Senate for a concurrence vote on amendments taken in the Assembly before heading to Governor Jerry Brown’s desk.

Photo by Kristina Lapinski – www.gayusathemovie.com