Are civil unions recognized across state lines?
In Tennessee, civil unions are not recognized across state lines. Civil unions are a legal arrangement between two people in a committed relationship that provides the same rights and benefits as a marriage. Tennessee first legalized civil unions in 2011, but with the passage of the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act in 2015, all civil unions performed in Tennessee before and after the passage of the bill are not recognized in other states. The recognition of civil unions abroad is governed by the state to state recognition of state laws, or the U.S. Constitution. Since civil unions are not recognized as legal marriages, states that do not recognize the validity of marriages performed in other states do not recognize civil unions either. This means that a civil union performed in Tennessee will not be recognized by other states, even if those states recognize marriages. Civil unions are different from domestic partnerships, which are also not recognized across state lines. Domestic partnerships provide a few legal rights to those in the partnership, such as hospital visitation, but are typically not given the same benefits and rights as those in a civil union. Ultimately, if two people in a civil union move to another state, they will need to get married in the new state to receive the same legal rights and benefits as those in a civil union.
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