HF3135 Summary

• Allows surviving domestic partners to bring wrongful death claims and be named in notices of wrongful death actions, treating them the same as surviving spouses under Minnesota law.

• Defines "domestic partners" as two same-sex adults who are mentally competent, share common welfare and financial obligations, maintain a permanent residence together, have a committed interdependent relationship, and are not married to or in partnership with another person.

• Extends witness privilege protections to domestic partners, preventing one partner from being examined about communications made during the domestic partnership without consent, with exceptions for civil actions between partners and criminal actions involving crimes against children or family members.

• Grants domestic partners crime victim rights including the ability to attend criminal proceedings, submit impact statements, and receive reasonable time off work, equivalent to rights given to spouses and immediate family members.

• Amends crime victim compensation definitions to include domestic partners as "family members" for purposes of victim assistance and economic loss recovery.