Nov 06, 2009  |  By: Amy Cavanaugh  | COMMENTS     

Montgomery County Council member Nancy Navarro is introducing a bill that would obligate county contractors to make domestic partner benefits available to employees in same-sex relationships.

Navarro, a Democrat representing the eastern part of the county, unveiled the Equal Benefits Bill on Tuesday.

“There have been conversations in my office about my long interest in issues of equity and disparities and things of that nature, so it seemed to be a logical step to introduce this bill,” she said. “This is already what the county is doing for employees, and we should require contractors to do the same.”

Navarro’s bill would make benefits available to partners identified through marriage licenses or civil unions granted out of state, or to those identified as same-sex domestic partners under Maryland law. The bill covers only employees who work for the county on contracts currently covered by the Wage Requirements Law or the Prevailing Wage Law.

Six of the Council’s eight other members are co-sponsoring the bill, including Roger Berliner (D), Marc Elrich (D), Valerie Ervin (D), Nancy Floreen (D), George Leventhal (D) and Duchy Trachtenberg (D). The bill also has the support of County Executive Isaiah Leggett.

Navarro said she’s hopeful her bill will have a positive effect on Maryland Attorney General Doug Gansler’s impending opinion on whether to recognize same-sex marriages performed out of state.

“I hope this will bring to the forefront the different challenges that same-sex couples face when they are in a committed relationship,” she said.

Navarro said a public hearing on the bill is set for Dec. 1. Because more than six Council members signed onto the measure, handling of the bill will be expedited, with an early January vote possible.

Navarro said she didn’t immediately know how many people the bill would impact.

“It’s important to make sure people know that it’s available,” she said. “There may be employees who just haven’t come forward but who are in domestic partnerships or got married out of state. We hope this will take that barrier away.”

Equality Maryland applauded the Equal Benefits Bill in a statement issued Monday.

“We are grateful to Council member Navarro and her colleagues on the Montgomery County Council for taking a stand for fairness by promoting equal access to important rights and benefits with contractors doing business with the county,” said Morgan Meneses-Sheets, Equality Maryland’s executive director.

“Passing the Equal Benefits Bill would send a strong signal that Montgomery County is ready for full marriage equality to come to Maryland.”