Right Column

2004 Summary of Legislation

• AB 205 Goldberg (Chapter 421, Statutes of 2004)
  
  1. "The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003"
     Registered Domestic Partners - Extends the rights and duties of a surviving spouse to persons registered with the Secretary of State as domestic partners on and after January 1, 2005. (Amended Section 297 of the Family Code and added Section 297.5). Although Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code was not amended to include registered domestic partners, they must now be recognized the same as a surviving spouse.
• AB 2811 Runner (Chapter 307, Statutes of 2004)
  
  1. Adult Siblings - Surviving competent adult siblings have been added to the list of individuals who have a right to control disposition of the decedent's remains. (Amended Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code).
  2. Person(s) with the Right to Control Disposition Fail to Act or Cannot be Located - The right to control disposition will pass to the person or persons in accordance with the order of succession provided by Section 7100 of the Health and Safety Code if the preceding individual with the right to control disposition fails to act or cannot be located within a specified period of time (Amended Sections 7100 & 7105 of the Heath and Safety Code).
  3. Person(s) with the Right to Control Disposition Cannot Agree - Permits equal right holders to petition the court to determine who has the right to control when they cannot agree within a specified period of time (Amended Sections 7100 & 7105 of the Health and Safety Code).
• AB 2004 Committee on Business and Professions (Chapter 531, Statutes of 2004)
  
  1. Mortuary Science Students - California students in a program accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education may do embalming in a funeral establishment under the direction of the funeral director and under the supervision of a licensed embalmer (Amended Section 7632 of the Business & Professions Code).