HR, Payroll and Benefits News

Domestic Partnership Impacts - 2017-19 State Budget Bill Signed
October 19, 2017

On September 21, 2017, Governor Walker signed the 2017-2019 State Budget Bill (2017 Wisconsin Act 59). The budget bill contains a provision that eliminates the Chapter 40 domestic partnership program which will impact employees who are in a domestic partnership.

The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has completed its initial review of the budget bill to identify all implications for the Wisconsin Retirement System and ETF-administered benefit programs (including health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance and flexible spending accounts). An ETF summary of the budget bill is available below.

Targeted communications will be mailed by ETF to employees who currently cover a domestic partner and/or dependent step-children to inform them of the impacts of the budget bill and any action they may need to take. Information about continuation of coverage (for up to 36-months) will be sent to affected domestic partner and dependent step-children in late December 2017. The notices will be sent by the UW Service Center.

Resource: ETF Summary of 2017 Wisconsin Act 59

Source: UW System Human Resources
Categories: Insurance