Update on marriage recognition in New York

Today, the Pride Agenda released an update on how state agencies are now recognizing same-sex marriages. The update, written in conjunction with Lambda Legal, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and America Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), is titled “Your Government Respects Your Marriage: Developments in New York State Agency Recognition of Same-Sex Couples’ Out-of-State Marriages.”

This update details the additional ways we know state government agencies around New York are now extending rights and responsibilities to married same-sex couples since we released our Q&A about getting married out of state back in May of last year. The Q&A was created in response to Governor Paterson writing to state agencies instructing them to respect the legal out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples here in New York.

The update is available on the Pride Agenda’s website here. Some of the highlights include:

• The Department of Health will now list both mothers on birth certificates for children born to married lesbian couples.
  
• The New York State Insurance Department has directed all insurance companies to provide coverage offered under state policies to same-sex married couples on the same terms as opposite-sex spouses.
  
• The same-sex spouses of state and local government employees are entitled to the same employment benefits as opposite-sex married couples.
  
• Workers’ Compensation benefits and compensation to spouses of crime victims will be extended to same-sex spouses.
  
• Requirements for public employees to provide the NYS Commission on Public Integrity with ethics filings on their spouses also apply to same-sex spouses. 

As we learn more in the future, we will continue to provide you with updates.