Benefits for domestic partners and same-sex spouses

Anonymous dancers, part of Dance Weekend 2009

Stanford University grants registered domestic partners and same-sex spouses of faculty members the same services as those that are available to opposite-sex spouses, including health care and other benefits, access to university facilities, discounted tuition for continuing education courses and the right to remain in on-campus housing after a spouse or partner’s death. Many benefits also extend to a domestic partner’s or same-sex spouse’s eligible children, including health insurance, access to child-care programs and the tuition grant program.

There are many same-sex couples in California who have married when this option has been available to them. In addition, California state law continues to give committed gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to register as domestic partners through the Office of the Secretary of State. California domestic partnership registration provides a registered domestic partnership with virtually the same rights, protections, benefits, duties, responsibilities and obligations as are granted to and imposed upon spouses in California, and is a process similar to that for establishing registered partnerships and civil unions in other states.

Special tax considerations are associated with benefits for registered domestic partners and same-sex spouses. For example, medical coverage for domestic partners and samesex spouses is considered a federal taxable benefit resulting in the addition of imputed income, unless the domestic partner or same-sex spouse qualifies as a dependent for income tax purposes. 

Your domestic partnership must be registered with the State of California. You do not have to be a resident of California to register your partnership in California. California registers same-sex partners, as well as opposite-sex partners when one is age 62 or older and qualified for Social Security benefits. Generally, you can register your domestic partner if you share a common residence and your domestic partner is:

• Age 18 or older
• A member of your household for the period to be covered under Stanford benefits
• Not related to you in a way that would prohibit legal marriage
• Not legally married or in a registered domestic partnership with anyone else

For more information, contact Stanford Benefits.