State
On 02 July 2011, Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the civil unions bill into law with "reservations". The law went into effect 05 July 2011 and includes a section that says no religious organization – including some hospitals, cemeteries, schools and community centers – or its employees may be required to treat as valid any civil union [R1.15], [R1.14].
General Laws. Title 15. Domestic Relations. Chapter 3.1. Civil Unions [L1.13]
15-3.1-6. Benefits, protections, and responsibilities– A party to a civil union lawfully entered into pursuant to this chapter shall have all the rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities under law, whether derived from statutes, administrative rules, court decisions, the common law, or any other source of civil or criminal law as people joined together pursuant to chapter 15-3.
15-3.1-7. References and inclusions – A party to a civil union shall be included in any definition or use of any term that denotes the spousal relationship, whether or not gender specific, as those or related terms designating that relationship are used throughout the laws of the State of Rhode Island.
On 11 October 2011, it was reported that the civil-union law allowing gay couples an exemption from the estate tax provided to married couples is not delivering as promised. The tax, which applies when an estate exceeds $859,350, but not when an estate is passed on to a surviving spouse, is closely tied to federal law that defines marriage as a legal union between a man and a woman [R1.12].
On 29 June 2011, the Senate passed a civil unions bill 21–16 with broad exemptions for religious organizations and sent it to the governor's desk [R1.11].
On 03 June 2011, Marriage Equality Rhode Island was reported to be seeking amendment of the Civil Unions Bill provision exempting religious organizations from having to perform civil union ceremonies or recognize the relationships, because it may also allow religious hospitals, cemeteries, and schools to ignore rights given to gay couples in a civil union [R1.10].
On 19 May 2011, the full House passed Civil Unions Bill 6103aa in a 62–11 vote. The Bill proceeded to the Senate where wide support was expected [R1.9].
Previously:
On 17 May 2011, the House judiciary committee approved 9–3 House Bill No 6103 that would allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions [R1.8].
On 03 May 2011, legislation (An Act Relating to Domestic Relations – Civil Unions) that defines a civil union as "a legal union between two individuals of the same sex" and those individuals "all the rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities" as those who are married was introduced by State Rep Peter Petrarca [R1.7].
On 28 April 2011, legislation that would create civil unions was expected to be introduced to the legislature during the following week [R1.6].
In January 2010, lawmakers passed a law 67–3 in the House and 31–3 in the Senate to allow people in gay relationships to make funeral arrangements for their partners, overriding the veto of Governor Don Carcieri [R1.5].
Previously
On 10 November 2009, Governor Don Carcieri vetoed legislation that would have given same-sex couples the right to plan funerals for deceased partners [R1.4].
In June 2009, the senate passed legislation that would grant committed, unmarried couples the right to claim each other's body and arrange funerals [R1.3].
On 15 December 2000, a new contract gave gay and lesbian police officers in Providence, Rhode Island spousal health care benefits for their domestic partners, a benefit already enjoyed by the city's firefighters, teachers, and laborers [R1.2].
In May 1999, funeral planning Bill H5618 if passed allowed residents of Rhode Island to declare their choice of who they want to plan their funeral and authorize interment or disposal of their remains by executing a signed declaration to that effect [R1.1].
Previously
The law provided that only parents or children of a deceased person had legal priority in deciding on funeral rites and disposal of the body over unmarried partners (gay or straight) in cases where the wishes of the parties conflict [R1.1]. |