Obama Extends Same-Sex Benefits

The Obama administration on Wednesday ordered federal agencies to extend several benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees. In a memo to agency heads, Obama identified several benefits that could be provided to same-sex partners under existing law and ordered the Office of Personnel Management to issue regulations that would:

• Clarify that the children of employees' same-sex domestic partners fall within the definition of "child" for purposes of federal child-care subsidies and child-care services.
• Clarify the definition of "family member" to include same-sex domestic partners for participation in employee assistance programs.
• Clarify that employees' same-sex domestic partners qualify as "family members" for purposes of determining noncompetitive appointments, including one that allows appointments of family members who accompany their spouses on overseas assignments.
• Add a federal retiree's same-sex domestic partner to the list of individuals presumed to have an insurable interest in the retiree under federal regulations.
• Clarify that under certain circumstances, employees' same-sex partners and children qualify as dependents when determining evacuation payments.
• Amend current rules to ensure that 24 hours of unpaid leave be made available to federal employees for school activities, family medical purposes or elderly relatives' health care needs in connection with the employee's same-sex partner or their partner's children.
• Clarify that employees' same-sex partners qualify as dependents for purposes of calculating the extra allowance payable for employees stationed on Johnston Island in the Pacific.

The memo also orders the General Services Administration to change the definition of "immediate family" and "dependent" to include same-sex domestic partners and their children for purposes of determining certain travel, relocation and subsistence payments. Agencies also should extend other benefits, such as credit union membership, access to fitness facilities and access to planning and counseling services, to the same-sex partners of federal employees, Obama wrote.

Other benefits, such as providing health insurance to same-sex partners, will require legislative action, the memo said.

The memo comes just one day after OPM finalized a regulation that extends long-term care insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of federal employees.

"This is another major step forward for gay and lesbian federal employees. But it's also a good business practice -- this will help us retain valuable employees and better compete with other employers for top talent," said OPM Director John Berry. "President Obama has stated clearly that this is an issue of equality. But just as important, youth today, LGBT or not, see these benefits as a litmus test for determining high quality employers."