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Orange County's Domestic Partnership Registry Opens Friday  July 5, 2012 | WMFE - Orange County's domestic partnership registry ordinance takes effect Friday morning, and county officials are marking the day by accepting the first registrants in person. Comptroller Martha Haynie will be on hand at the Orange County Administration Center in downtown Orlando when the registry officially opens at 10:30am. The filings will be put into what’s being called the “HELP” database – Health, Education and Life Protection. HELP allows domestic partners to register their relationships and receive many of the rights married couples have. They include hospital visitation, medical decision-making, emergency notification and education decisions for a child. Individuals can also use the registry. They can enter the name of a surrogate and assign that person some rights, such as end-of-life decisions. The surrogate can be a friend or neighbor and does not have to live in the same house as the registrant. Orange County joins Orlando and a growing number of Florida municipalities that have domestic partnership registries. |
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