FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | October 11, 2011

California Governor Signs Groundbreaking Law Protecting Same-sex Spouses and Partners of Nursing Home Residents

Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.

(San Francisco, CA, October 11, 2011)—On October 9, 2011, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill—AB 641—that provides same-sex spouses and registered domestic partners of nursing home residents the same financial protections available to opposite sex married couples. The groundbreaking law protects Californians in same sex relationships from losing access to joint financial resources, such as bank accounts or stock, when their partner or spouse applies for the Medi-Cal long-term care benefit.

Statement by NCLR Executive Director Kate Kendell, Esq.:

"We applaud Governor Brown for signing this groundbreaking bill, which will protect same-sex couples from losing their homes or being thrown into poverty when one partner needs long-term care. Under the new law, California same-sex couples will have equal access to the Medicaid spousal impoverishment protections that have protected different-sex couples for decades."

The National Center for Lesbian Rights is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.
www.nclrights.org.

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