CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

HOUSE BILL 1649

Chapter 9, Laws of 2011

62nd Legislature
2011 Regular Session

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS--OUT-OF-STATE--RECOGNITION

EFFECTIVE DATE: 07/22/11

Passed by the House March 4, 2011 Yeas 58 Nays 39 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 30, 2011 Yeas 28 Nays 19 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate		CERTIFICATE I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1649 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk
Approved April 5, 2011, 1:13 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington		FILED April 5, 2011 Secretary of State State of Washington

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HOUSE BILL 1649
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Passed Legislature - 2011 Regular Session

State of Washington

62nd Legislature

2011 Regular Session

By Representatives Jinkins, Pedersen, Kenney, Pettigrew, Ladenburg, Lytton, Stanford, Billig, Ryu, Liias, Seaquist, Darneille, Dickerson, Dunshee, Fitzgibbon, Upthegrove, Reykdal, Finn, Moscoso, Takko, Rolfes, Clibborn, Jacks, Morris, Cody, Roberts, Orwall, Green, Van De Wege, Ormsby, Hudgins, Sells, Kelley, Blake, Appleton, Kagi, Santos, Hurst, Kirby, Eddy, Probst, Springer, Miloscia, Maxwell, Sullivan, Goodman, Frockt, Carlyle, Haigh, Moeller, Hunter, Tharinger, Hunt, McCoy, and Hasegawa

Read first time 01/28/11. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to giving legal effect to domestic partnerships; and amending RCW 26.60.090 and 1.12.080.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1 RCW 26.60.090 and 2009 c 521 s 72 are each amended to read as follows:
A legal union of two persons of the same sex((~~, other than a marriage,~~)) that was validly formed in another jurisdiction, and that is substantially equivalent to a domestic partnership under this chapter, shall be recognized as a valid domestic partnership in this state and shall be treated the same as a domestic partnership registered in this state regardless of whether it bears the name domestic partnership.

Sec. 2 RCW 1.12.080 and 2009 c 521 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
For the purposes of this code and any legislation hereafter enacted by the legislature or by the people, with the exception of chapter 26.04 RCW, the terms spouse, marriage, marital, husband, wife, widow, widower, next of kin, and family shall be interpreted as applying equally to state registered domestic partnerships or individuals in state registered domestic partnerships as well as to marital relationships and married persons, and references to dissolution of marriage shall apply equally to state registered domestic partnerships that have been terminated, dissolved, or invalidated, unless the legislation expressly states otherwise and to the extent that such interpretation does not conflict with federal law. Where necessary to implement chapter 521, Laws of 2009, gender-specific terms such as husband and wife used in any statute, rule, or other law shall be construed to be gender neutral, and applicable to individuals in state registered domestic partnerships.

         Passed by the House March 4, 2011.
         Passed by the Senate March 30, 2011.
         Approved by the Governor April 5, 2011.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 5, 2011.