Are there any civil union laws in other states?
Yes, there are civil union laws in other states. Civil unions are a legally recognized relationship between two people that provides some of the same rights and responsibilities of marriage. Civil unions are not as widely recognized as marriage, but they carry the same legal weight and entitle the couple to the same tax, health, and other benefits available to married couples. In December of 2017, Hawaii became the seventh state to legalize civil unions. After that, several other states followed suit. California, Colorado, and New Jersey all passed civil union laws in 2013, and Delaware, Illinois, Nevada, and Oregon all passed civil union laws in the following years. Civil partnerships, which are similar to civil unions, are also offered in some states. Civil partnerships are recognized in the District of Columbia, Vermont, and California. Massachusetts, Maryland, and California all offer domestic partnerships, which provide similar rights and responsibilities as civil unions. Overall, civil unions are recognized in eighteen states plus Washington, D.C. Despite the growing acceptance and recognition of civil unions, they remain distinct from marriage and generally are not afforded the same recognition as a marriage. Depending on the state, civil unions may also not provide the same rights to the couple as marriage.
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