WASHINGTON — Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has joined 42 original cosponsors in the Senate and 78 in the House of Representatives in support of a bill designed to apply federal workplace benefits for married couples equally across all states.

The Respect for Marriage Act, reintroduced by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would fully repeal the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in its entirety. It would guarantee every married couple federal workplace benefits and protection for valid marriages performed anywhere in the United States.

The bill does not require U.S. states without legal protections for same-sex couples to recognize a marriage or force any person, state, locality or religious organization to celebrate or recognize a legal union between two persons of the same sex.

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