Medical registry bill passes Virginia House; other bills die

Link: Washington Blade

Excerpt:

Gay rights advocates in Virginia tasted success when the House of Delegates approved a medical registry bill Tuesday, but encountered defeat after a number of other bills went up in flames.

The House passed the medical registry legislation, House Bill 805, by a vote of 95-4. The bill, sponsored by Del. David Englin (D-Alexandria), would set up a state registry for living wills and advanced medical directives.

The documents would express an individual’s wishes in advance regarding medical treatment in case the individual was incapacitated. Those in same-sex relationships could designate their partner as the person who would make medical decisions on their behalf.

Englin said he is pleased that the House approved the legislation “with such strong bipartisan support.”

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After approving the bill, the House sent it to the Senate, where it awaits evaluation. The Senate already approved on Jan. 29 an almost identical piece of legislation, Senate Bill 290, sponsored by Sen. George Barker (D-Fairfax).

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Another bill sponsored by gay legislator Del. Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) failed in subcommittee Feb. 7. The bill, H.B. 865, would have allowed private employers to extend life insurance policies to same-sex partners.

A Commerce and Labor subcommittee made a motion to report the bill favorably. Four Democrats and one Republican voted in favor of the bill, but six Republicans voted against the bill.

Ebbin said he was disappointed the bill failed despite support from the insurance industry.

“It was clear that the bill was permissive — it wouldn’t require anyone to do anything,” he said.

The legislation was inspired by an Arlington resident’s inability to take out a life insurance policy on his same-sex partner. Kelly Young, an H5 Technologies lawyer, attempted to take advantage of his company’s insurance benefits to take out a policy on his partner of almost 10 years, Bill Reinsmith. H5’s insurance company told Young that Virginia law prevented the company from allowing Young to take out a policy on his partner.

Young said he was “disappointed” that the subcommittee did not approve the bill and attributed its failure to the Republican control of the House.

Other bills sponsored by Del. Jim Scott (D-Falls Church) failed because the House did not take any action on them by the Feb. 12 deadline. One bill was H.B. 36, which would have prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation for housing.

The other bill is H.B. 1415, which would have allowed local governments to offer health insurance benefits to same-sex couples. The Senate on Jan. 23 had already approved a version of the latter bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D-Arlington) and numbered S.B. 51.

 

[jw]