Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-21) joined Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41) to introduce the Social Security and Medicare Parity Act. This legislation will ensure that same-sex couples receive the Social Security, Medicare, and survivor benefits they have earned.

Since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in the United States v. Windsor case, the Department of Justice has updated federal regulations in order to recognize the rights of same-sex couples and provide them with the federal benefits they have earned. However, several legal loopholes still remain and infringe on the rights of these Americans. The Social Security and Medicare Parity Act will close some of those loopholes by repealing discriminatory provisions and allowing same-sex couples to combine marriage time and time in domestic partnership in order to qualify for benefits.

A copy of the Social Security and Medicare Parity Act is available here.