Benefits and Compensation

Bill Would Allow Tax Reimbursement to Federal Employees for Domestic Partner’s Travel

Heads of federal agencies would have the authority to reimburse employees for the taxes imposed on reimbursements of travel or transportation expenses their domestic partners incur when accompanying them on a business trip, under a bill introduced in the U.S. House on Nov. 18 —  the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act (H.R. 3485).

The bill seeks to amend law governing the management of federal government employees to allow for reimbursement of tax on reimbursements paid for certain travel. The federal law, 5 U.S.C. §5706c, already allows federal agencies, if they elect to make it part of their standard policy, to reimburse federal employees for the taxes they pay on monies — including reimbursement or allowances — received for travel reimbursement of themselves and their spouse. The legislation would add the term “or, where allowable, such employee’s domestic partner, to the term “spouse” in that law. It would be up to the head of each federal agency as to whether they would adopt the language in their agency’s travel policy.

The same type of reimbursement would be allowed for reimbursements for federal employees’ relocation expenses, under the bill.

The bill, which Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) introduced, has a companion bill in the Senate, S. 1910. That version was introduced by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.).

The House version was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and to the Committees on Education and the Workforce, House Administration, and the Judiciary, on Nov. 18. On Dec. 2, it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. The Senate version has not moved from its original committee assignment.

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