Subject: Domestic Partnership law in California
From: [email-masked] (Frank Weston)
Date: Fri, 18 Feb

Los Angeles Times

                        February  17, 1994, Thursday
    
      BILL WOULD RECOGNIZE RIGHTS OF UNMARRIED DOMESTIC PARTNERS
    
   Unmarried couples could officially register their relationships, affirming
their right to will each other property and allowing them to participate in
family-only hospital visits, under legislation that has been introduced in the
Assembly.
    
   The bill (AB 2810) would apply to unmarried couples who are living together,
including same-sex  domestic partners,  provided they qualify.
    
   To be eligible to register with the secretary of state, a couple would have
to be over the age of 18, not be related by blood, agree to share joint living
expenses, and not have been part of another  domestic partnership  for six
months before registering. The measure is sponsored by the gay and lesbian
support group Life AIDS Lobby.
    
   "There are thousands of couples who live together and for one reason or
another choose not to be married," author Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar)
said. "It's about time the state of California acknowledges these family
relationships."

   A related measure (AB 2811) also introduced by Katz would allow extension of
health care coverage to registered unmarried couples employed by public agencies
that contract with the state retirement system.