Differences in The Legislation
Given the use of the term "domestic partnerships", the Oregon legislation is more in line with Washington state's recognition of same-sex relationships and California's recognition of same-sex relationships, as opposed to the civil union legislation created in Vermont, New Jersey, and New Hampshire. However, unlike the registries in California and Washington state, domestic partnerships in Oregon are not available to opposite-sex senior couples.
Oregon's legislation has no ceremony requirement. All marriage and civil union legislation require a ceremony, whether religious or civil, to be considered valid. In Oregon couples are only required to register their domestic partnerships through the submission of a paper form. Additionally, the Oregon statute contemplates that the domestic partnerships are only valid in the state of Oregon. All other marriage and civil union laws assume the validity of such relationships in every other jurisdiction - although in practice they are almost never recognized in states that forbid same-sex marriages. These changes may have been placed to avoid any conflict with the Oregon constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Read more about this topic: Domestic Partnership In Oregon
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