I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6569 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide for treatment of 
permanent partnerships between individuals of the same gender as mar-
riage for purposes of determining entitlement to benefits under such 
title. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 21, 2010 
Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to provide 
for treatment of permanent partnerships between individ-
uals of the same gender as marriage for purposes of 
determining entitlement to benefits under such title. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Equity in Social Secu-
rity Act of 2010’’. 
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SEC. 
2. 
TREATMENT 
OF 
PERMANENT 
PARTNERSHIPS 
UNDER TITLE II OF THE SOCIAL SECURITY 
ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 216 of the Social Security 
Act (42 U.S.C. 416) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsection: 
‘‘Permanent Partnership 
‘‘(m)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this 
title and under regulations of the Commissioner of Social 
Security prescribed as required under paragraph (3)— 
‘‘(A) In any case in which the Commissioner 
determines, in connection with the application by (or 
on behalf of) an individual for a benefit under this 
title, that a current or former marriage between the 
applicant and another individual, or between 2 other 
individuals, is a prerequisite for entitlement of the 
applicant to such benefit and the application des-
ignates, for treatment as such a marriage for pur-
poses of such application, an arrangement between 
2 individuals of the same gender— 
‘‘(i) if the Commissioner determines that 
such arrangement is (or was) a permanent 
partnership within the meaning of paragraph 
(2), such arrangement shall be treated for pur-
poses of this title as a marriage of such individ-
uals; and 
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vidual’s divorced spouse in connection with such 
arrangement) and each male individual who was 
a party to such arrangement shall be treated as 
a divorced husband with respect to such ar-
rangement (referencing the other party as the 
applicant’s divorced spouse in connection with 
such arrangement). 
‘‘(C) In any case in which the Commissioner de-
termines that, after an individual entitled to a 
monthly insurance benefit under section 202 became 
so entitled, such individual and another individual of 
the same gender have entered into an arrangement 
that constitutes a permanent partnership, such ar-
rangement shall be treated as a marriage of such in-
dividuals for purposes of any provision of such sec-
tion providing for termination of such entitlement 
upon marriage or remarriage. 
‘‘(D) Upon receipt by the Commissioner of an 
application by (or on behalf of) an individual for a 
benefit under this title containing certification by (or 
on behalf of) the applicant, submitted in such form 
and manner as shall be prescribed in such regula-
tions, that the applicant is a stepchild or adopted 
child of an individual who is or was a party to an 
arrangement consisting of a permanent partnership, 
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if such arrangement is treated as a marriage under 
subparagraph (A) and, under the laws of the domi-
cile of the applicant, the applicant is, at the time of 
such application, treated as a stepchild or adopted 
child of such party to such arrangement, the appli-
cant shall be treated as such a stepchild or adopted 
child of such party (referencing such party as a par-
ent of the applicant). 
‘‘(E) Upon receipt by the Commissioner of an 
application by (or on behalf of) an individual for a 
benefit under this title containing certification by (or 
on behalf of) the applicant, submitted in such form 
and manner as shall be prescribed in such regula-
tions, that the applicant is or was a party to an ar-
rangement consisting of a permanent partnership 
and that the applicant is a parent of an individual 
who is a stepchild or adopted child of the applicant 
with respect to such arrangement, if such arrange-
ment is treated as a marriage under subparagraph 
(A) and, under the laws of the domicile of the appli-
cant, the applicant is, at the time of such applica-
tion, treated as a parent of such individual with re-
spect to such arrangement, the applicant shall be 
treated as such a parent of such individual (ref-
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erencing such individual as a stepchild or adopted 
child of the applicant). 
‘‘(2) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘per-
manent partnership’ means, in connection with any indi-
vidual, a committed, intimate arrangement which is be-
tween such individual and another individual who have 
both attained 18 years of age and which has been recog-
nized and certified as legally valid by the State of domicile 
of the applicant, in any case in which— 
‘‘(A) each such individual intends a lifelong 
commitment to the other; 
‘‘(B) such individuals are financially inter-
dependent; 
‘‘(C) such individuals are unable to contract 
with each other a marriage cognizable under this 
title (other than as provided in this subsection); 
‘‘(D) each such individual is not a first, second, 
or third degree blood relation of the other individual, 
and; 
‘‘(E) each such individual is neither married 
(within the meaning of this title other than as pro-
vided in this subsection) to, nor in a relationship de-
scribed in the preceding provisions of this paragraph 
with, any third individual. 
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‘‘(3) The Commissioner shall prescribe such regula-
tions as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this 
subsection. In prescribing such regulations, the Commis-
sioner shall take into account the laws of the State of 
domicile of an applicant for benefits under this title so 
as to ensure that such provisions, together with the other 
provisions of this title as applied in accordance with this 
subsection, are appropriately coordinated with each other 
and with the laws of such State.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply with respect to monthly insurance 
benefits for months after November 2011 for which appli-
cations are filed after December 31, 2011, and with re-
spect to lump-sum death payments in connection with 
deaths occuring after such date. 
Æ 
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