Support SB 172- Civil Unions in Co

If 86,000 signatures are collected SB 172 will be placed on the ballot for 2012.

SB172 will provide legal benefits, protections, and responsibilities to spouses who have applied for civil unions in Colorado.

Benefits for these couples will include:
-Responsibility for financial support of a party to a civil union
-Rights and abilities concerning transfer of real or personal property to a party in a civil union
-The ability to file a claim based on wrongful death, emotional distress, loss of consortium, or other laws whether common law or statutory, related to or dependent upon spousal status
-The ability to inherit real and personal property from a party in a civil union under the probate code
-Survivor benefits under and inclusion in workers' compensation laws
-The ability to adopt a child of a party to a civil union
-The ability to insure a party to a civil union under group benefit plans for state employees
-Survivor benefits under local government firefighter and police pensions
-Protections and coverage under domestic abuse and domestic violence laws
-Rights and protections under victims' compensation laws and victims and witness protection laws
-Protections and responsibilities relating to emergency and non-emergency medical care and treatment and hospital visitation
-Rights to visit a party in a civil union in a correctional facility, jail, or private contract prison or in a facility receiving mental health treatment
-The ability to file a complaint about the care or treatment of a party in a civil union in a nursing home
-Rights relating to declarations concerning the administration, withholding, or with-drawling of medical treatment, proxy decision-makes and surrogate decision makers, CPR directives, or directives concerning medical orders for scope of treatment forms with respect to a civil union
-Rights concerning the disposition of the last remains of a party to a civil union
-The right to make decision regarding anatomical gifts
-Eligibility for family leave benefits
-Eligibility for public assistance benefits
-A privilege from providing compelled testimony against a party in a civil union and evidentiary privileges for both parties in a civil union
-The right to apply for emergency or involuntary commitment of a party to a civil union
-The right to claim a homestead exemption
-The ability to protect exempt property from attachment, execution, or garnishment
-Dependent coverage under life insurance and health insurance policies