More Protection for all of Virginian Families

Governer Kaine recently signed legislation that will set up a state registry for living wills and advanced medical directives.  This legislation is important to those in same-sex relationships as these legal documents are currently the only way that same-sex couples have to ensure their partner is involved in important medical decisions.  By having a state registry, it will be easeir for both patients and hospitals to access these important legal documents. 

Congratulations for this important step foward in securing more protection for GLBT families goes to Brian Pace, President of Equality Prince William, who took the lead to introduce this bill in the Virginia legislature and worked tirelessly to ensure its passage.

The Virginia Advance Health Care Directive Registry will allow all Virginians to register their Advance Health Care Directives (also known as Advance Medical Directives) with the Virginia Department of Health so that the directive will be made available at all Virginia hospitals, statewide.  This means you'll no longer need to have your directive in your glove compartment or on your person - as we've heard some people resorting to - so that in the event of an accident, the hospital would have the necessary documentation to properly recognize your partner.  This is great news!  Presumably, Directive registrants will also get some type of a wallet card to carry with them, as other states which have enacted registries have generally provided them.

The actual text of the bill, as well as the voting records, can be found at here and here.  Information on what an Advance Health Care Directive is and what it does is available here.  The bill is reported as going into effect as of July 1.  We are not sure whether this will be when the registry will go "live," or if the Commonwealth will need a little additional time to logistically set up, distribute and test the database and software.  Equality Prince William is planning on putting together a Frequently Asked Questions ("FAQ") about the Bill and Registry so everyone can be prepared to take advantage of this registry when it goes "live."  If you have a particular question you'd like to see addressed in the FAQs, please send it to Brian Pace at brian@equalityprincewilliam.org.

Finally, please take a moment to thank the chief patrons of this legislation!  Senator George Barker (D-Prince William/Fairfax) can be reached at district39@sov.state.va.us, and Delegate David Englin (D-Alexandria) can be reached at DelDEnglin@house.state.va.us.