Criteria

• Must be the same sex
• Have shared a continuous committed relationship for at least 6 months, intend to do so indefinitely, and have no such domestic partner relationship with any other person
• Reside in the same household
• Share responsibility for each other's welfare and financial obligations
• Not be related by blood to a degree of kinship that would prevent marriage from being recognized under law
• Be over the age of 18, of legal age and legally competent to enter into a contract
• Reside in a state where marriage between two persons of the same sex is not recognized as valid under law
• Not be married to any other person

Requirements to enroll

• If residing in a state that has formal recognition of domestic partner relationships, such recognition is required for enrollment of the domestic partner
• Employee and the domestic partner will be required to complete an affidavit attesting to meeting the eligibility requirements and provide any additional documentation necessary to support the claimed eligibility
• An eligible domestic partner's child may be enrolled if the primary enrollee can claim an exemption for the child on his or her federal income tax return and the child meets all of the programs eligibility provisions pertaining to children
• Neither a domestic partner nor his or her children are eligible to be enrolled following the primary enrollee's retirement. However, coverage for an eligible domestic partner, or his or her child, enrolled prior to the primary enrollee's retirement may be continued in retirement
• If the primary enrollee and his or her domestic partner terminate the relationship, an opportunity to continue coverage on a basis comparable to COBRA will be provided
In the event of the primary enrollee's death, a surviving domestic partner will be provided continuation opportunities comparable to a similarly situated surviving spouse. Under no circumstances will the privileges afforded a domestic partner exceed those of a similarly situated spouse