WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine introduced new legislation providing equal dignity for all legal marriages in the tax code.  The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act seeks to remove gender-specific references to marriage in the tax code consistent with recent developments that, extend equal treatment under the law to LGBT Americans.

“The debate is over and marriage equality is the law of the land. Our tax code must reflect that,” said Warner.

“This bill clarifies what the Supreme Court affirmed in June—same-sex couples deserve full and equal dignity in the eyes of the law,” said Kaine. “By eliminating outdated language, we will ensure our tax code recognizes the right of all couples to marry and respects all types of families.”

This bill follows the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on June 26, 2015 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection, striking down state-level bans on such marriages.  The bill ensures that the nation’s tax law properly reflects the landmark civil rights decision, offering equal treatment to all married taxpayers. 

Legislative text can be found here.

Additional cosponsors of the bill include Senators Ron Wyden, Tammy Baldwin, Michael Bennet, Richard Blumenthal, Sherrod Brown, Barbara Boxer, Maria Cantwell, Ben Cardin, Tom Carper, Bob Casey, Christopher Coons, Dick Durbin, Al Franken, Kristen Gillibrand, Martin Heinrich, Heidi Heitkamp, Mazie Hirono, Amy Klobuchar, Patrick Leahy, Ed Markey, Claire McCaskill, Robert Menendez, Jeff Merkley, Barbara Mikulski, Christopher Murphy, Patty Murray, Bill Nelson, Bernie Sanders, Brian Schatz, Chuck Schumer, Jeanne Shaheen, Debbie Stabenow, Jon Tester, Elizabeth Warren and Sheldon Whitehouse.