Unmarried partners living in St. Petersburg may soon be able to register with the city clerk’s office and gain rights as domestic partners.
The city drafted an ordinance Thursday to approve a domestic registry that city council members will vote on within the next month, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
If approved, couples will have the right to make decisions on behalf of any partner if they are incapacitated, will be able to notify family members, become guardians of estates and direct burials, the Times said.
Unmarried partners would need to register with the city clerk’s office for a small fee in order to receive an affidavit certifying their relationship, officials said.
Council member Steve Kornell, who is gay, told the Times he rallied around the ordinance in light of other cities launching similar registries.
"But the problem is if you're in a coma, you can't allow someone to visit you," Kornell said. "And then it's up to that clerk behind the desk deciding if it's right or not. This takes that possibility out of it. No clerk should deny a partner in that situation. With this, they won't."
Should the measure pass, St. Petersburg will join other cities in Florida such as Tampa, Gainesville, West Palm Beach, Orlando, and Key West that have enacted similar ordinances.
Local
The move will also come in time for Gay Pride Month that is celebrated in June.
