Gale Encyclopedia of American Law Volume 3 P43 fully illuminates today's leading cases, major statutes, legal terms and concepts, notable persons involved with the law, important documents and more. Legal issues are fully discussed in easy-to-understand language, including such high-profile topics as the Americans with Disabilities Act, capital punishment, domestic violence, gay and lesbian rights, physician-assisted suicide and thousands more. | 408 DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT OF 1996 in cooperative efforts to alleviate any serious social and economic side effects resulting from major departmental realignments or other actions. The office supports the secretary of defense in his capacity as chair of the Economic Adjustment Committee an interagency group established to coordinate federal economic adjustment activities. The Washington Headquarters Service is headed by the director of administration and management. It provides administrative and operational support to certain DOD activities in the Washington . area. This support includes budgeting and accounting personnel management office services security travel aid information and data systems and other services as required. Web site http . FURTHER READINGS DefenseLINK - Official Web Site of the US Department of Defense. Available online at accessed December 26 2009 . . Government Manual Website. Available online at www. gmanual accessed Decmber 26 2009 . CROSS REFERENCES Armed Services Arms Control and Disarmament Executive Order Freedom of Information Act FOIA Military Law DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT OF 1996 The Defense of Marriage Act DOMA Pub. L. 104-199 Sept. 21 1996 110 Stat. 2419 is a federal law that denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and authorizes states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages licensed in other states. DOMA was passed out of the fear that a lawsuit in Hawaii would force that state to recognize same-sex marriages. Under the . Constitution s full faith and credit clause Article IV Section 1 states are expected to recognize the public acts records and judicial proceedings of every other state. Therefore Congress was alarmed at the prospect of a gay or lesbian couple being married in Hawaii and then going to another state and expecting that state to recognize them as legally married. In addition Congress did not want to grant same-sex couples the same federal benefits
