Sacramento – The Domestic Partnership Equality Act (SB 651), authored by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California, was approved by the California Assembly today. The bill closes the gap on some of the differences that continue to exist between marriage and domestic partnerships in California.

“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 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.

The Domestic Partnership Equality Act makes the law equitable in a number of areas as it removes the requirement that couples must reside in the same household prior to entering into a domestic partnership, allows same-sex couples to enter into a confidential domestic partnership and applies the same age restrictions for domestic partnerships as in marriages. The bill also 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.

“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.”

“This is just one step forward in our work to secure the freedom to marry for same-sex couples,” Palencia added. “Without full marriage equality these couples are still denied more than 1,100 federal protections that help them to care for one another and their families.”

Equality California (EQCA) is the largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights advocacy organization in California. Over the past decade, Equality California has strategically moved California from a state with extremely limited legal protections for LGBT individuals to a state with some of the most comprehensive civil rights protections in the nation. Equality California has passed more than 70 pieces of legislation and continues to advance equality through legislative advocacy, electoral work, public education and community empowerment. www.eqca.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 8, 2011
CONTACT: Rebekah Orr, Equality California
PHONE: (415) 498-0847 EMAIL: rebekah@eqca.org

CONTACT: Ali Bay, Office of Senator Mark Leno
PHONE: (916) 651-4003 EMAIL: ali.bay@sen.ca.gov