On June 26, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. That statutory section previously defined marriage as limited to one man and one woman, and prohibited recognition of same-sex spouses for purposes of federal benefits.

As a result of this ruling, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Postal Service have extended marriage-based benefit programs to federal and postal employees, annuitants, and their same-sex spouses who have legally married in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriages. Such benefits are available irrespective of where the employee currently lives or works. Moreover, this change in policy has been deemed to be a qualifying life event, so employees and annuitants are allowed to change their benefits through August 26, 2013, which is sixty days after the court decision.

Under the authority of OPM, this change applies to health insurance, vision and dental programs, long-term care insurance, life insurance, and

retirement programs. Within the Postal Service, this change also affects flexible spending accounts, relocation benefits, FMLA leave (pending further clarification from the Department of Labor), and other leave programs such as sick leave for dependent care, bereavement leave, and leave sharing. For those mail handlers potentially affected by these changes, more information is available on PostalEase or the NPMHU website.