HomeMy WebLinkAbout6156ORDINANCE NO. 6 1 5 6
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF AUBURN, WASHINGTON, ANNOUNCING
ITS INTENTION TO EXTEND ITS CURRENT
HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TO DOMESTIC
PARTNERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS
WHEREAS, the City of Auburn currently provides health care coverage
to its married, regular employees and dependents: and
WHEREAS, the Auburn City Council has determined that the same
health care benefits provided to spouses and to dependents of regular
employees of the City Auburn should also be provided to domestic partners, as
defined in RCW 26.60.020(1), and their dependents, of regular employees,
except as may be otherwise required by law and subject to the requirement to
collectively bargain such benefit changes with represented employees; and
WHEREAS, the Washington State legislature recently passed legislation
providing for registration and recognition of domestic partnerships; and
WHEREAS, this trend of recognizing relationships which have many
attributes of a civil marriage has been adopted by several employers throughout
the state and Puget Sound region through the provision of domestic partner
benefits; and
WHEREAS, the provision of domestic partner health benefits to
employees in non-traditional relationships is consistent with these policies; and
WHEREAS, on July 22, 2007, legislation creating a state registry for
domestic partners became effective; and
Ordinance No. 6156
January, 15, 2008
Page 1 of 4
WHEREAS, the new legislation to enter into a state registered domestic
partnership, a couple must meet the following requirements: 1) both persons
must share a common residence; 2) both persons must be at least eighteen
(18) years of age; 3) neither person may be married to someone other than the
party to the domestic partnership and neither person may be in a state of
registered domestic partnership with another person; 4) both persons must be
capable of consenting to the domestic partnership; 5) both of the following must
be true: (a) the persons may not be nearer of kin to each other than second
cousins, whether of the whole or half-blood computing by the rules of civil law;
and (b) neither person may be a sibling, child, grand child, aunt, uncle, niece, or
nephew to the other person; and 6) either (a) both persons are the same sex; or
(b) at least one of the persons is sixty-two years of age or older; and
WHEREAS, the legislature found that same sex couples, because they
cannot marry in this state, do not automatically have the same access that
married couple have to certain rights and benefits; and
WHEREAS, the primary intent and requirement of the recent legislation
is to ensure that employees in non-traditional relationships have the same
employment and healthcare opportunities as others and are protected as any
other employee from discrimination; and
WHEREAS, the state registration process provided by the Office of the
Secretary of State will streamline administrative processes needed to
Ordinance No. 6156
January, 15, 2008
Page 2 of 4
implement an effective domestic partnership policy for the State and the City;
and
WHEREAS, the state legislation expressly provides that any subdivision
of the State (such as the City of Auburn) which uses the statute's definition of
the term "state registered domestic partner" must allow the state's certificate of
domestic partnership" issued by the Office of the Secretary of State to satisfy
any registration requirement that the City would otherwise apply; and
WHEREAS, the Association of Washington Cities Benefits Trust, which
provides heath care benefits to the City of Auburn provides for domestic
partnership coverage.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN,
WASHINGTON DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Health Care Benefits: Health care coverage, under
Association of Washington Benefits Trust sponsored health care plans, is
extended to City of Auburn regular employees, their spouses, dependents, or
domestic partners, as defined in RCW 26.60.020(1), and to the dependents, of
regular employees' domestic partners.
Section 2. Constitutionality or Invalidity: If any section, subsection,
clause, phrase, or sentence of this Ordinance is, for any reason, held to be
invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining portions of this ordinance shall remain
in force and affect.
Ordinance No. 6156
January, 15, 2008
Page 3 of 4
Section 3. Implementation: The Mayor is hereby authorized to
implement such administrative procedures as may be necessary to carry out
the directives of this legislation.
Section 4. Effective Date: This Ordinance shall take effect and be in
force five (5) days from and after its passage, approval, and publication as
provided by law.
INTRODUCED:
PASSED:
JaN 2 2 zoos
~aN 2 2 zoos
APPROVED: dAN 2 2 2008
CITY OF AUBURN, WASHINGTON
Peter B. Lewis
~~/ Mayor
ATTEST:
~~~~
D ielle E. Daskam,
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
J ph Bec
ssistant City Attorney
Published: ~' ~ Z ~-LCD
Ordinance No. 6156
January, 15, 2008
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