An ordinance introduced to the city’s Affirmative Action Commission Tuesday would require contractors to give equal benefits to domestic partners and spouses of their employees.

The ordinance was introduced by Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, with the assistance of Assistant City Attorney Lara Mainella. Verveer said half of the City Council, as well as Mayor Paul Soglin, are sponsors of the ordinance.

“If they offer [certain benefits] to married employees, they have to offer it to domestic partnerships, gay or straight,” Verveer said.

According to Verveer, Dane County already has a similar ordinance on the books as of 2008. However, he said there remains an issue of enforcement of the Dane County ordinance.

Verveer said former Gov. Jim Doyle changed the law that allowed domestic partners to have full equal benefits in health insurance. He also said advocates had already worked hard for equal benefits in other areas.

“When state law changed and employees were able to enjoy equal benefits is when I decided to move this forward,” Verveer said.

Norman Davis, an Affirmative Action Commission member, said he is heading the enforcement effort for the new ordinance.

He said they would enforce the ordinance with possible sanctions if a contractor did not comply.

Department of Civil Rights Director Lucia Nu?ez said enforcement of the ordinance will be complaint-driven. She said complaints can be made to the Affirmative Action Commission, which will then investigate the issue.

“Just as with other measures of enforcement, we want the contractor to achieve compliance,” Davis said.

If a contractor will ultimately not comply, the city may cancel or terminate the contract, declare the contractor ineligible from procuring future funds, or other measures may be taken, Davis said.

He added contractors must post the requirement in their company of equal benefits at their place of business.

Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Katie Belanger said in a statement that the group supports the legislation, calling it both important and overdue.

Belanger’s statement said members of the organization are glad to see the city of Madison moving forward with LGBT equality in the workplace and join Dane County and other governmental bodies in their efforts.

“It’s important to note that this ordinance does not mandate domestic partner coverage if an employer does not offer spousal benefits – it only includes those who have been unfairly left out in the past,” the statement said.

Mainella said the ordinance has broadened the definition of domestic partnership so that the contractor has a way to prove that people are in a domestic partnership.

According to Mainella, couples must show that they are registered, which is the equivalent of a marriage license.

Verveer said that over half of Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partnerships benefits in addition to many other companies in the city of Madison already.

“It is not the foreign concept it once was,” Verveer said.

The Affirmative Action Commission voted unanimously in favor of helping to bring the ordinance to the city.