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Public Law
124th Legislature
First Regular Session
Chapter 159
H.P. 499 - L.D. 716
An Act To Change the Definition of “Domestic Partner” in the Laws Governing Custody of Remains
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.   22 MRSA §2843-A, sub-§1, ¶D,  as amended by PL 2003, c. 672, §19, is further amended to read:
 
D.  “Next of kin” means a person having the following relationship to the subject, in the following order of priority:
 
(1) The spouse;
 
(1-A) A domestic partner. For purposes of this section, “domestic partner” means one of 2 unmarried adults who are domiciled together under long-term arrangements that evidence a commitment to remain responsible indefinitely for each other’s welfare; the partner of the subject who:
 
(a) Is a mentally competent adult;
 
(b) Had been legally domiciled with the subject for at least 12 months immediately preceding the death of the subject;
 
(c) Is not legally married to or legally separated from another individual;
 
(d) Was the sole partner of the subject; and
 
(e) Was jointly responsible with the subject for each other’s common welfare as evidenced by joint living arrangements, joint financial arrangements or joint ownership of real or personal property;
 
(2) An adult son or daughter;
 
(3) A parent;
 
(4) An adult brother or sister;
 
(5) An adult grandchild;
 
(6) An adult niece or nephew who is the child of a brother or sister;
 
(7) A maternal grandparent;
 
(8) A paternal grandparent;
 
(9) An adult aunt or uncle;
 
(10) An adult first cousin; or
 
(11) Any other adult relative in descending order of blood relationship.
 
Effective September 12, 2009