District of Columbia Expands Right of Benefits of Domestic Partnerships

The District of Columbia expanded it's Domestic Partnership Law when the Council passed the "Omnibus Domestic Partnership Equality Amendment Act of 2008." The law adds 39 new provisions to the law that extend most of the rights and benefits of marriage to registered domestic partners. 

The new rights and benefits that apply to real property include:

• Amends “An Act” to establish a code of law for the District of Columbia to permit domestic partners to hold property as tenants by the entirety and to revise the deed forms to include domestic partners.
• Amends the Condominium Act of 1976 to permit domestic partners to hold condominium units as tenants by the entirety.
• Amends the D.C. Deed Recordation Tax Act to replace gender specific terms with gender neutral terms.
  
• Amends D.C. Human Rights Act of 1977 to include domestic partner in the definition of family member.
• Amends section 19-1106 of the D.C. Official Code to provide a presumption of survivorship for domestic partners with regard to custodial trusts.
• Amends Title 28 of the D.C. Official Code to include the interest of domestic partners in trust administration decisions.
• Amends the Residential Real Property Seller Disclosure, Funeral Services Date Change, and Public Service Com-mission Independent Procurement Authority Act of 1998 to include transfers of real estate between domestic partners as excluded from the provisions of that chapter.
• Amends Title 47 of the D.C. Official Code to require domestic partners be treated the same as spouses in the administration of District of Columbia Tax law.
• Amends the Rental Housing Conversation and Sale Act of 1980 to replace gender-specific terms with gender-neutral terms.
• Amends the Rental Housing Act of 1985 to include domestic partners when making the determination of the smallest unit size appropriate for an eligible family.
• Amends the Nursing Home and Community Residence Facility Residents’ Protections Act of 1985 to include domestic partners among those unqualified to be appointed as a receiver.