BILL NUMBER: AJR 15	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 17, 2009
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2009

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members De Leon, Ammiano, and John A. Perez
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Block, Blumenfield, Fuentes, Jones,
Ma, Monning,  and Portantino   Portantino, 
 and Skinner  )
   (Coauthors: Senators Kehoe and Pavley)

                        APRIL 20, 2009

   Relative to the Uniting American Families Act.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 15, as amended, De Leon. Uniting American Families Act.
   This measure would urge the Congress of the United States  to
include the Reuniting Families Act and the Uniting American Families
Act in comprehensive immigration reform or  to pass, and
President Obama to sign, the Uniting American Families Act  as
stand-alone legislation  and support the removal of legal
barriers to immigration by permanent same-sex partners.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, Every American is entitled to equal protection under the
law; and
   WHEREAS, The principle of family unification is an unassailable
characteristic of our immigration system under which legal permanent
residents and United States citizens should be able to sponsor their
loved ones for immigration status; and
   WHEREAS, Federal law does not currently recognize permanent
same-sex partners as family members for immigration purposes,
including same-sex partners that are married or recognized as married
in various states; and
   WHEREAS, This results in thousands of United States citizens being
forced into exile to be with foreign born partners, causing
unnecessary hardship, separation from family members and careers, and
loss of valuable skills and resources for our country; and
   WHEREAS, The Uniting American Families Act  (H.R. 1024/S. 424)
 has been introduced in Congress by  Senator Patrick
Leahy and Representative Jerrold Nadler with 95 cosponsors in the
United States House of Representatives and 17 cosponsors in the
United   New York Representative Jerrold Nadler and
Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy with 115 cosponsors in the United
States House of Representatives and 20 cosponsors in the United 
States Senate to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act and allow
United States citizens and legal permanent residents to sponsor
same-sex partners for immigration  ,   and California
Representative Mike Honda has introduced the Reuniting Families Act
(H.R. 2709), a broad family immigration bill which will overcome many
barriers to family reunification in current immigration law and
includes the Uniting American Families Act  ; and
   WHEREAS, The Uniting American Families Act defines "permanent
partner" as an individual 18 years of age or older who is in a
committed, intimate relationship with another individual 18 years of
age or older in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment; is
financially interdependent with that other individual; is not married
to or in a permanent partnership with anyone other than that other
individual; is unable to contract with that other individual a
marriage cognizable under the Immigration and Nationality Act; and is
not a first-, second-, or third-degree blood relation of that other
individual; and
   WHEREAS, Although there are a relatively low number of binational
same-sex partners, they are severely harmed by discrimination and a
lack of protection under current immigration law; and
   WHEREAS, Data compiled over two decades documents that there has
not been a single case of fraud perpetrated by a person or
partnership in any domestic partners benefit plan in the United
States since those benefit plans began in l982; and
   WHEREAS, The United States is behind other democracies in
extending fair treatment in immigration policies to same-sex
partners, and the Uniting American Families Act of 2009 would bring
United States immigration law in line with 16 other countries that
currently recognize same-sex partnerships for immigration purposes:
Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Iceland, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, 
Portugal,  South Africa, Sweden, and the United Kingdom; and
   WHEREAS, The Uniting American Families Act is an appropriate next
step towards establishing equality in immigration standards for
same-sex partners; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature and the State of California
urge the United States Congress  to include the Reuniting
Families Act and the Uniting American Families Act in comprehensive
immigration reform or  to pass  ,  and President Barack
Obama to sign  ,  the Uniting American Families Act  as
stand-alone legislation  at the earliest possible date and
support the removal of legal barriers to immigration by permanent
same-sex partners; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United
States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each
Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the
United States.