,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cjej ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,august #b1 #bjac ,ms4 ,linda ,t4 ,snchez of ,california 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,ms4 ,schwartz1 ,mr4 ,higgins1 ,mr4 ,brady of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4 ,himes1 ,mr4 ,moran1 ,ms4 ,hanabusa1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,ms4 ,chu1 ,ms4 ,tsongas1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 ,mr4 ,ellison1 ,mrs4 ,capps1 ,mrs4 ,carolyn ,b4 ,maloney of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,schiff1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,ms4 ,lee of ,california1 ,mr4 ,capuano1 ,ms4 ,pingree of ,maine1 ,mr4 ,langevin1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,kuster1 ,mr4 ,serrano1 ,mr4 ,hastings of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,smith of ,washington1 ,mr4 ,honda1 ,mr4 ,de,fazio1 ,mr4 ,holt1 ,mr4 ,o',rourke1 ,mrs4 ,davis of ,california1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,mr4 ,swalwell of ,california1 ,mr4 ,cicilline1 ,mr4 ,polis1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,mr4 ,welch1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,mr4 ,levin1 ,mr4 ,bishop of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,clay1 ,mr4 ,lowenthal1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,ms4 ,hahn1 ,mr4 ,farr1 ,ms4 ,speier1 ,ms4 ,eshoo1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,cartwright1 ,mr4 ,huffman1 ,mr4 ,larson of ,connecticut1 ,ms4 ,esty1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,mr4 ,schneider1 ,mr4 ,keating1 ,mr4 ,israel1 ,ms4 ,brownley of ,california1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,pascrell1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,pallone1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,michaud1 ,ms4 ,de,lauro1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 ,mr4 ,george ,miller of ,california1 ,ms4 ,sinema1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,tonko1 ,mr4 ,perlmutter1 ,mr4 ,kennedy1 ,mr4 ,rangel1 ,mr4 ,murphy of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,lynch1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mr4 ,waxman1 ,mr4 ,doyle1 ,mr4 ,hinojosa1 ,ms4 ,shea-,porter1 ,mr4 ,peters of ,california1 ,ms4 ,michelle ,lujan ,grisham of ,new ,mexico1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,ms4 ,clarke1 ,mr4 ,sarbanes1 ,mr4 ,dingell1 ,ms4 ,roybal-,allard1 ,mr4 ,ryan of ,ohio1 ,mr4 ,yarmuth1 ,ms4 ,frankel of ,florida1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,mr4 ,al ,green of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,garamendi1 ,mr4 ,grayson1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,mc,dermott1 ,mr4 ,kilmer1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,neal1 and ,mr4 ,foster7 introduced the following bill2 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 individuals of the same gender as marriage for purposes of determining entitlement to benefits under such title4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,social ,security ,equality ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,treatment of permanent partnerships under title ,,ii of the ,social ,security ,act 7a7 ,in general ,section #baf of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #daf7 is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection3 7m7 ,permanent partnership 7#a7 ,notwithstanding any other provision of this title and under regulations of the ,commissioner of ,social ,security prescribed as required under paragraph 7#c73 7,a7 ,in any case in which the ,commissioner determines1 in connection with the application by 7or on behalf of7 an individual for a benefit under this title1 that a current or former marriage between the applicant and another individual1 or between #b other individuals1 is a prerequisite for entitlement of the applicant to such benefit and the application designates1 for treatment as such a marriage for purposes of such application1 an arrangement between #b individuals of the same gender-- 7i7 if the ,commissioner determines that such arrangement is 7or was7 a permanent partnership within the meaning of paragraph 7#b71 such arrangement shall be treated for purposes of this title as a marriage of such individuals2 and 7ii7 each female party to such arrangement shall be treated as a wife with respect to such arrangement 7referencing the other party as such individual's spouse in connection with such arrangement7 and each male party to such arrangement shall be treated as a husband with respect to such arrangement 7referencing the other party as such individual's spouse in connection with such arrangement74 7,b7 ,an arrangement between individuals of the same gender shall be treated as a former marriage under subparagraph 7,a7 in connection with an application for benefits under this title only if the ,commissioner determines that such arrangement has been dissolved under the laws of the ,state of domicile of the applicant4 ,in any case in which the ,commissioner determines that such an arrangement has been so dissolved-- 7i7 the dissolution of such arrangement shall be treated as a divorce with respect to such arrangement2 and 7ii7 each female individual who was a party to such arrangement shall be treated as a divorced wife with respect to such arrangement 7referencing the other party as such individual's divorced spouse in connection with such arrangement7 and each male individual who was a party to such arrangement shall be treated as a divorced husband with respect to such arrangement 7referencing the other party as the applicant's divorced spouse in connection with such arrangement74 7,c7 ,in any case in which the ,commissioner determines that1 after an individual entitled to a monthly insurance benefit under section #bjb became so entitled1 such individual and another individual of the same gender have entered into an arrangement that constitutes a permanent partnership1 such arrangement shall be treated as a marriage of such individuals for purposes of any provision of such section providing for termination of such entitlement upon marriage or remarriage4 7,d7 ,upon receipt by the ,commissioner of an application by 7or on behalf of7 an individual for a benefit under this title containing certification by 7or on behalf of7 the applicant1 submitted in such form and manner as shall be prescribed in such regulations1 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 partnership1 if such arrangement is treated as a marriage under subparagraph 7,a7 and1 under the laws of the domicile of the applicant1 the applicant is1 at the time of such application1 treated as a stepchild or adopted child of such party to such arrangement1 the applicant shall be treated as such a stepchild or adopted child of such party 7referencing such party as a parent of the applicant74 7,e7 ,upon receipt by the ,commissioner of an application by 7or on behalf of7 an individual for a benefit under this title containing certification by 7or on behalf of7 the applicant1 submitted in such form and manner as shall be prescribed in such regulations1 that the applicant is or was a party to an arrangement 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 arrangement1 if such arrangement is treated as a marriage under subparagraph 7,a7 and1 under the laws of the domicile of the applicant1 the applicant is1 at the time of such application1 treated as a parent of such individual with respect to such arrangement1 the applicant shall be treated as such a parent of such individual 7referencing such individual as a stepchild or adopted child of the applicant74 7#b7 ,for purposes of this subsection1 the term permanent partnership means1 in connection with any individual1 a committed1 intimate arrangement which is between such individual and another individual who have both attained #ah years of age and which has been recognized and certified as legally valid by the ,state of domicile of the applicant1 in any case in which-- 7,a7 each such individual intends a lifelong commitment to the other2 7,b7 such individuals are financially interdependent2 7,c7 such individuals are unable to contract with each other a marriage cognizable under this title 7other than as provided in this subsection72 7,d7 each such individual is not a first1 second1 or third degree blood relation of the other individual2 and 7,e7 each such individual is neither married 7within the meaning of this title other than as provided in this subsection7 to1 nor in a relationship described in the preceding provisions of this paragraph with1 any third individual4 7#c7 ,the ,commissioner shall prescribe such regulations as are necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection4 ,in prescribing such regulations1 the ,commissioner 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 provisions1 together with the other provisions of this title as applied in accordance with this subsection1 are appropriately coordinated with each other and with the laws of such ,state4 4 7b7 ,effective date ,the amendment made by this section shall apply with respect to monthly insurance benefits for months after ,november #bjac for which applications are filed after ,december #ca1 #bjac1 and with respect to lump-sum death payments in connection with deaths occurring after such date4