BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary
205 (Goldberg)
Hearing Date: 8/25/03 Amended: 8/21/03
Consultant: K. French & A. Maitland Policy Vote:
Judic: 5-1
Rev&Tax: 4-3
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BILL SUMMARY: AB 205 enacts the California Domestic
Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, which
recasts the existing Domestic Partnership Act and extends
to registered domestic partners substantially all rights,
benefits, and obligations of married persons under state
law, with the exception of those rights, benefits, and
obligations accorded only to married persons by federal
law, the California Constitution, or initiative statutes.
Fiscal Impact (in thousands)
Major Provisions 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 Fund
CalPERS-Admin. --------------minor------------------------General
CalPERS--State
Retirement & Death
benefits ---------minor, if any increase----------PERF
Health benefits
----------------minor-------------------PERF
CalPERS-Contracting
Agencies --------------unknown--------------Local
SOS notifications minor -- --
--General
Local mandate --------Unknown, offset by filing fees---Local
Courts -------Unknown, offset by filing fees----General
STAFF COMMENTS: This bill was heard on August 18th,
author's amendments were adopted, testimony was taken and
the bill was put over to today for VOTE ONLY. Author's
amendments delete the provision allowing registered
domestic partners to file a joint income tax return
beginning in 2005, make a correction to the language to
ensure that the bill does not jeopardize the tax-qualified
status of the long-term care insurance plans provided by
the CalPERS Long Term Care Program, and incorporate
language into the family code to clarify that domestic
partners use the same filing status for both state and
federal income tax returns.
CalPERS notes that costs for increased benefit eligibility
associated with this bill would be minor and would not
result in an increase in rates or actuarial assumptions.
Domestic partners already have rights with respect to
health benefits, which is the most costly area. AB 205
will increase costs for contracting agencies, because it
eliminates a contracting agency's discretion in providing
health coverage for domestic partners of its employees and
annuitants. Assuming an additional 600 enrollees at an
annual cost of $2,400 per enrollee, costs to employers and
employees could be $1.8 million annually. A precise figure
for the additional cost to employers of this extended
coverage is not possible, because public agencies have
different employer contribution amounts.