Inching closer to health benefits for state workers' same-sex partners?

A Senate committee Thursday gave its blessing to a bill that, if enacted, ultimately could enable the state to permit government workers to add same-sex partners to their health benefits.

The legislation from Sen. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, comes roughly one year after a proposed regulatory change to accomplish that goal was withdrawn from consideration.

A suggested policy change to allow state workers to extend benefits to “other qualified adults” -- such as same-sex partners adult children and other adults in their households -- became public in the waning days of former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s term.

But that effort ended early last year after Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli advised Gov. Bob McDonnell that the state Department of Human Resource Management lacked statutory authority over the proposed regulation.

Cuccinelli said at the time that the General Assembly had to approve that kind of change.

McEachin’s bill, SB 1122, gives the legislature that opportunity.

He said the measure doesn’t mandate that the state provide benefits, but would allow officials to consider the option.

And the state doesn’t have to bear the expense of those benefits, he added.

“The insured could pick up the costs.” McEachin said of his bill, which has the backing of gay rights group Equality Virginia.

Testifying in support of the measure was Ellen J. Bass, an associate engineering professor at the University of Virginia and a lesbian.

She told the committee that approving the legislation would help the state recruit and retain staff, noting that a number of other states already permit government workers to add partners to their benefits.

-- Julian Walker

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