Do you know where your Members of Congress stand on these 15 LGBT related bills?

These are the fifteen House bills PBCHRC will be focusing on in this Congress. Not all have been introduced yet.

Please contact your Congressman or Congresswoman and ask if he or she will support -- or better yet, co-sponsor -- the following bills:

1. Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) (Rep. Barney FRANK, D-MA) (Outlaws discrimination on SO+GI by govt & private employees, like Title VII of CRA and Gov’t Employees Rights Act do for other group-traits).

2. Freedom from Discrimination in Credit Act (Rep. Steve ISREAL, D-NY2, Frank, Baldwin, Polis) (adds SO+GI to Equal Credit Opport. Act)

3. Fair and Inclusive Housing Rights Act (Rep. NADLER, D-NY8) (adds SO+GI to Fair Housing Act, Title VIII of CRA)

4. Student Non-Discrimination Act (Rep. Jarrod POLIS, D- CO, Frank, Baldwin, Nadler) (end discrimination/harrassment based on SO/GI via federal programs (CRA, Title VI) hook; whistle blower; enforcement provisions; private right of action.

5. Equal Rights for Healthcare Act (Rep. Laura RICHARDSON, D-CA37) (prohbits discrim in fed. health care services/research programs on basis of ‘sex, race, color, nat.origin, so, gi, or disability’)

6. Ending LGBT Health Disparities Act (Rep. Tammy BALDWIN, D-WI12) (pre-existing conditions; fed. Employee DP; Medicaid for HIV; spouse for Medicare; nondis for SO/GI in Medicaid/care, CHIP; grants for SO/GI studies and projects to improve health & mental health for so/gi minorities; ‘culturally competent’ care provisions; office of LGBT health; anti-violence programs/studies; teen pregnancy/stds grants; children of same-sex partners insurance benefits; veterans benefits and DOD programs.) (MOST probably covered by Title VI, CRA; except new programs)

7. Respect for Marriage Act (DOMA Repeal) (Rep. Jerrold NADLER, D-NY8) (repeals DOMA, recognizes valid state marriages)

8. Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) (Rep. Jerrold NADLER, D-NY8;) (provides domestic partnership equivalent for spousal immigration process)

9. Family Medical Leave Inclusion Act (Rep. Carolyn MALONEY, D-NY14) (creates Domestic Partner equivalent provisions)

10. Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations (DPBO) Act (Rep. Tammy BALDWIN, D-WI2) (adds annuity/pension benefits for all gov’t employees, except armed services, but including DOD, Coast Guard) (Committee: Homeland Security)

11. Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries (Rep. James McDERMOTT, D-WA7;) (makes health insurance contributions for any ‘eligible beneficiary’ deductable)

12. Every Child Deserves a Family (ECDF) (Rep. Fortney STARK, D-CA13) (ends discrimination in federally funded adoption/foster care, based on SO+GI, marital status).

13. Safe Schools Improvement Act (Rep. Linda SANCHEZ, D-CA, Frank, Baldwin)(adds to definition of “violence”: bullying and harassment based on ‘race, color, nat. org, sex, SO/GI, disability” to the Safe & Drug Free Schools & Community Act; complaint procedures; evaluations.)

14. Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act (Rep. Barbara LEE, D-CA9) (sex education/HIV/STDs program, study, includes nondis SO+GI)

15. Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA) (Rep. Eliot ENGLE, D-NY17) (committee: Energy/sub-Health) (insuring HIV antiviral treatment under Social Security).