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A bill inspired by gay Virginia residents Kelly Young (right) and Bill Reinsmith that would have allowed private employers to provide insurance provisions for employees’ partners, failed in committee. (Blade file photo by Henry Linser)
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HOME > NEWS > LOCAL
By: CHRIS JOHNSON COMMENTS
 
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require anyone to do anything,” he said.
The legislation was inspired by an Arlington resident’s inability to take out a life insurance policy on his same-sex partner. Kelly Young, an H5 Technologies lawyer, attempted to take advantage of his company’s insurance benefits to take out a policy on his partner of almost 10 years, Bill Reinsmith. H5’s insurance company told Young that Virginia law prevented the company from allowing Young to take out a policy on his partner.
Young said he was “disappointed” that the subcommittee did not approve the bill and attributed its failure to the Republican control of the House.
Other bills sponsored by Del. Jim Scott (D-Falls Church) failed because the House did not take any action on them by the Feb. 12 deadline. One bill was H.B. 36, which would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for housing.
The other bill is H.B. 1415, which would have allowed local governments to offer health insurance benefits to same-sex couples. The Senate on Jan. 23 had already approved a version of the latter bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) and numbered S.B. 51.
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