Employee and Public Services Department
| DATE: | March 30, 2004 |
| TO: | All Employees / All Deferred Retirees |
| FROM: | Sid McCausland, CEO, SamCERA |
| SUBJECT: | Domestic Partner Retirement Benefits Effective January 1, 2005 |
____________________________________________________________________________ Assembly Bill 205, the California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, amended Family Code Sections 297-299.3, and extends the rights and duties of marriage to persons registered with California’s Secretary of State as domestic partners. These amendments will become not be come effective until January 1, 2005. After January 1, 2005, employees who have been registered with the State for one year will be entitled to provide SamCERA surviving spouse retirement benefits for (1) their domestic partner of the same sex or, (2) if one or both of the partners is at least age 62, their domestic partner of the opposite sex. Employees do not need to wait until January 1, 2005 to register. It is important to emphasize that the State requirements for domestic partners are different from those established by the County and that the County Affidavit of Domestic Partnership program does not provide for retirement benefits. Employees must be registered with the State. If you have a domestic partner of the same sex, or you have a domestic partner of the opposite sex and either of you are age 62, you may wish to register with the Secretary of State to qualify your domestic partner for retirement survivors benefits. The State’s “Declaration of Domestic Partnership” and “Notice of Termination of Domestic Partnership” forms are available through the California Secretary of State or the San Mateo County Clerk’s Office. The County Affidavit of Domestic Partnership will still be applicable for current County-offered benefits, such as health insurance. |