BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 2216
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 8, 2002

                        ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                              Darrell Steinberg, Chair

                   AB 2216 (Keeley) - As Amended:  April 25, 2002 

          Policy Committee:                              JudiciaryVote:8-3

          Urgency:     No                   State Mandated Local Program:  
          No     Reimbursable:               

           SUMMARY  

          This bill:

          1)Expands the legal rights of a registered domestic partner,  
            effective July 2003, to include the right to inherit property  
            without a will if one partner dies.  

          2)Requires the Secretary of State to inform registered domestic  
            partners and domestic partner applicants of this change by  
            March 2003.

           FISCAL EFFECT  

          Minor General Fund costs  of about $10,000 for Secretary of  
          State notifications.

           COMMENTS  

           1)Rationale  .  The author contends that the majority of  
            Californians, regardless of familial status, have not left a  
            will, trust or other estate plan.  Without the right to  
            inherit property from a partner who dies intestate, surviving  
            domestic partners may experience economic hardship, including  
            eviction from homes they shared with the deceased."

           2)Prior Legislation  .  Chapter 588, Statutes of 999 (AB 26,  
            Migden) established the state domestic partnership registry.   
            Chapter 893, Statutes of 2001 (AB 25, Midgen) established  
            several new legal rights for registered domestic partners. 

            A provision, similar to AB 2216, regarding inheritance of  
            property, was included in earlier versions of AB 25 in 2001,  








                                                                  AB 2216
                                                                  Page  2

            but the provision was deleted as a result of negotiations  
            between interested parties.  AB 2047 (Steinberg) of 2000 also  
            contained a inheritance provisions, but that bill was  
            subsequently amended to be authored by then-Assemblywoman  
            Romero and also to contain other provisions relating to  
            domestic partnerships.  That bill was held in this committee.

             Analysis Prepared by  :    Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081