Wednesday, August 20, 2003

Permanent Partner's Act


[This is also from So-called Lesbian's site but I thought it was important enough to reprint in it's -- mostly -- entirety. Cheers!]

"Five US Senators have recently introduced the Permanent Partners Immigration Act. This bill, if enacted into law, will allow same sex non-native partners to stay in the united states with thier US citizen partner. The information is below. Please read this and contact your Senator immediately. This Act will not cost American taxpayers anything, yet to bi-national couples, it will give something most people take for granted -- security.

Please do what you can. And most especially, please talk to your family and friends and let them know how important this Act is to same-sex bi-national couples.

What you can do:

Please contact your Senator and urge him or her to cosponsor the Permanent Partners Immigration Act (PPIA), which would allow U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor their same-sex partners for immigration to the United States. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Senate version of the bill (S.1510) on July 31, 2003, with five original sponsors: Senators Mark Dayton (D-MN), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Jim Jeffords (I-VT), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and John Kerry (D-MA).

PPIA's History:

In February of 2000, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced PPIA in the U.S. House of Representatives. With the assistance of LGIRTF, Congressman Nadler's office drafted the bill, and it gained 59 cosponsors in its first year in the House of Representatives. On February 14, 2001, PPIA was reintroduced in the 107th Congressional session where it received 106 cosponsors. The bill was reintroduced again in the 108th Congressional session on February 13, 2003, and it currently has 115 cosponsors.

In a questionnaire distributed by the Human Rights Campaign, seven of the nine Democratic Presidential candidates said they would support PPIA, and two candidates --both are U.S. Senators --said they were undecided. Now is the time to help your Senator decide to support PPIA by taking action!

How does PPIA work?

PPIA would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by adding the term "permanent partner" in sections where "spouse" currently appears, thus ensuring that a non-citizen permanent partner may receive the same immigration benefits that a non-citizen spouse now receives. Under PPIA, a person may qualify as the permanent partner of a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident if, among other things, he or she is:

  • At least 18 years of age
  • In an intimate relationship with the sponsoring adult U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident in which both parties intend a lifelong commitment
  • Financially interdependent with that person
  • Not married or in a permanent partnership with anyone other than that person; and
  • Unable to contract with that person a marriage that is recognized under the INA.

    To find out the name and contact information for your Senator visit this website and enter your zip + 4.

    Further reading on the PPIA here, here and here."

    Thanks!
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