Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §4552, as amended by PL 1993, c. 327, §1, is further amended to read:

§4552. Policy

To protect the public health, safety and welfare, it is declared to be the policy of this State to keep continually in review all practices infringing on the basic human right to a life with dignity, and the causes of these practices, so that corrective measures may, where possible, be promptly recommended and implemented, and to prevent discrimination in employment, housing or access to public accommodations on account of race, color, sex, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin; and in employment, discrimination on account of age or because of the previous assertion of a claim or right under former Title 39 or Title 39-A and in housing because of familial status; and to prevent discrimination in the extension of credit on account of age, race, color, sex, marital status, religion, ancestry or national origin; and to prevent discrimination in education on account of sex or physical or mental disability; and in inheritance, insurance, workers' compensation and taxation because a family is a nontraditional family that includes domestic partners.

Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §4553, sub-§1-D is enacted to read:

1-D.__Domestic partner.__"Domestic partner" means the partner of an individual who:

A.__Has been legally domiciled with the individual for at least 12 months;

B.__Is not legally married to or legally separated from another individual;

C.__Is the sole partner of the individual and expects to remain so; and

E.__Is jointly responsible with the individual for each other's common welfare as evidenced by joint living arrangements, joint financial arrangements or joint ownership of real or personal property.

Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §17001, sub-§12-B is enacted to read:

12-B.__Domestic partner.__"Domestic partner" means the partner of a member who: