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AN ORDINANCE related to contracts; requiring contractors with the county to provide benefits to domestic partners of their employees equivalent with the benefits provided to spouses of their employees; adding a new chapter to K.C.C. Title 12 and prescribing penalties.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Sections 2 through 6 of this chapter should constitute a new chapter in K.C.C. Title 12.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. Purpose. The purpose of this chapter is to protect and further a more just government by requiring that public funds be expended so as to prohibit county contractors from discrimination in the provision of employee benefits between employees with spouses and employees with domestic partners.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 3. Definitions. The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
A. "Contract" means an agreement to perform services or provide tangible personal property as defined in K.C.C. 4.16.010. that entails a legally binding obligation of twenty-five thousand dollars or more. "Contract" does not include the following: a contract between a contract-awarding authority and a public entity; a contract for the purchase, lease or rent of real estate; or a collective bargaining agreement.
B. "Contract-awarding authority" means the county officer, department, commission, employee or board authorized to enter into or to administer contracts on behalf of the county.
C. "Domestic partner" means any person who is a domestic partner as defined in K.C.C. 3.12.010 and is registered with the employee's employer as the employee's domestic partner or, in the absence of such an employer-provided registry, is registered as a domestic partner with a governmental body in accordance with state or local law authorizing the registration. Any internal employer registry of domestic partnership must comply with the criteria for domestic partnerships specified ...

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