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Domestic Partners

VII. FACULTY AND ACADEMIC STAFF RETIREMENT AND BENEFIT PROGRAMS (Cont.)

DOMESTIC PARTNERS

Domestic partners of eligible faculty/academic staff who meet the following criteria are eligible for benefits if they:

• are same-sex and for this reason are unable to marry each other under Michigan law;
• are in a long-term committed relationship, have been in the relationship for at least 6 months, and intend to remain together indefinitely;
• are not married to others and neither has another domestic partner;
• are at least 18 years of age and have the capacity to enter into a contract;
• are not related to one another closely enough to bar marriage in Michigan;
• share a residence and have done so for more than 6 months;
• are jointly responsible to each other for the necessities of life; and
• provide a signed “partnership agreement” that obligates each of the parties to provide support for one another, and provides for substantially equal division, upon termination of the relationship, of earnings during the relationship and any property acquired with those earnings.

• are qualified and claimed as an IRS-defined dependent by the domestic partner;
• are members of the employee’s household or a full-time student; and
• are unmarried and under the age of 19 (up to the end of the calendar year they turn 23 for dental coverage if a full-time student, and up to the end of the calendar year they turn age 25 for health plan coverage if an IRS-defined dependent).

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