Domestic Partnership Heath Care Bill Advances

ACTION ALERT: Please contact your NM Representative to support this bill. You can find your representative here. See our previous post on this bill for more information.

From the NM Democratic Majority House Leadership:
A bill that allows health care coverage for domestic partners will be heading to the House floor for a vote. HB 15 sponsored by Rep. Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe) received a do pass recommendation from the House Heath and Government Affairs Committee with a 7 to 1 vote.

“This bill gives employers the option of providing health care coverage to employees in a domestic partnership relationship. The bill does not mandate that employers provide coverage, but it does require insurance companies to do so if the business chooses to offer the coverage,” said Rep. Wirth.

Domestic partners are defined as unmarried partners over 18 years of age who are in a mutually exclusive, committed relationship and have shared a primary residence for at least 12 consecutive months. The partners must also be responsible for the common welfare of each other and share financial obligations.

For more information:
Kathleen MacRae, Media Relations
House Majority Office of Ken Martinez
Room 209, 986-4781
Primary contact: cell 505-681-3920