Budget analysts put a price tag on domestic partner perks

[The Straight Story]

Budget analysts put a price tag on domestic partner perks
By Elizabeth Newell [e-mail] May 18, 2010

Making the same-sex domestic partners of federal employees eligible to receive the same benefits as married spouses would cost the government more than $300 million over the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.

In addition to $310 million in direct costs between 2010 and 2020, CBO calculates the 2009 Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (S. 1102) would increase benefits-related discretionary spending by $394 million over the same period. The Washington Post first reported the new estimates for the bill, which would provide perks including health insurance, survivor annuities, compensation for work-related injuries, and travel and relocation benefits to federal employees' same-sex partners.

Providing health care to domestic partners would account for the vast majority of the increases in both direct and discretionary spending -- $294 million and $355 million, respectively.

In order to reach its estimate, CBO assumed the Senate bill will be enacted late in 2010 and that about 0.33 percent of federal employees would choose to register a same-sex partnership if given the opportunity.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=45291&oref=todaysnews

[PDJane]

1. Considering other expenditures.........

Cheap.