AJR 15 (Ammiano and De Leon and John A. Pérez)
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 person in the United States 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 New York Representative Jerrold Nadler
and Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy with 115
123 cosponsors in the United States House of Representatives
and 20 23 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 19 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, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden,
Sweden, Switzerland, 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.
