NYS Pension System to Recognize Canadian Same-Sex Marriages

Tne New York Times reported this morning that New York State's Comptroller, Alan Hevesi has ruled that the state's pension system will "recognize a same-sex Canadian marriage in the same manner as an opposite-sex New York marriage.'' Since NY already allows employees to name same-sex partners as pension beneficiaries the practical impact of the ruling is that certain benefits that go to spouses (automatic cost-of-living increases and accidental death benefits) can now be claimed by same-sex couples married in Canada.
Although several municipalities in NY have already determined to recognize Canadian marriages, this is the first statewide program to do so.