OLYMPIA – Washington citizens registered as domestic partners are a signature away from receiving a broader suite of rights and responsibilities after Senate Bill 5688 passed the Legislature today on a 62-35 vote in the state House. The legislation expands the state’s domestic partnership statute to include all the state rights and responsibilities of marriage.

“This is a great day for those who embrace equality and fairness in our state, said Sen. Ed Murray, D-Seattle, the bill’s prime sponsor. “Today, we are one step closer to protecting all of our families,” he said.

Legislation led by Murray during the past two years has succeeded in providing basic rights to domestic partners, but hundreds of other rights extended to married couples still didn’t apply to domestic partners. Murray’s bill closes these gaps.

“This is being called the ‘Everything But Marriage’ bill. But let me be clear, this is not marriage. Domestic partners continue to be denied numerous rights under federal law,” Sen. Joe McDermott, D-Seattle, said. “We will continue to work towards marriage, but today is a victory for families across our state — and equality.”

Examples of the rights and responsibilities that would be extended to gay and lesbian families under this measure include:

• the right to use sick leave to care for a partner;
• pension benefits;
• workers’ compensation coverage; and
• the right to unemployment and disability benefits.

Earlier this session, the measure passed the Senate 30-18. It now moves to Gov. Chris Gregorie’s desk, where she is expected to sign it into law.