Dozens of people gathered on July 1 in the atrium of the Wellington E. Webb Building to celebrate Colorado's new Designated Beneficiaries law and file their agreements. Speakers at the event included Sen. Pat Steadman (at podium), Denver Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley, Denver's Director for Human Rights and Community Relations Lucia Guzman, and many couples who were turning in their forms that day.
Designated Beneficiary Agreements provide a new tool for estate planning, giving Coloradans access to a low-cost and convenient method for making plans for end-of-life decisions, inheritance, and other protections related to health care and medical emergencies. It also allows beneficiaries to sue for wrongful death and the access to workers compensation benefits, two provisions that weren't possible for unmarried couples before today.
A coalition of more than 30 organizations worked with Rep. Mark Ferrandino and former Sen. Jennifer Veiga, sponsors of the bill, to make Designated Beneficiary Agreements a reality.
"I am privileged to have been able to play a role in getting us to this day," Ferrandino said. "Designated Beneficiaries will have a long-lasting positive impact on Coloradans from all walks of life."
For more information, including a downloadable form, go to www.designatedbeneficiaries.org.
