In last week’s Flagpole, we told you about LGBT University of Georgia employees who hoped that the UGA Foundation would cover health insurance expenses for their domestic partners, as straight employees’ spouses are covered.
No dice. The university announced today that the foundation board won’t provide funding for domestic partner benefits.
Athens, Ga. – In response to correspondence from both the University of Georgia and the University System of Georgia, the University of Georgia Foundation today announced that its executive committee had met to consider the possibility of foundation funds being used to pay for domestic partner benefits.
The question was raised about using private funding from the University of Georgia Foundation to assume full responsibility for funding, insuring, accounting for, and administering a health care program for domestic partner benefits.
This was brought to the foundation since state funds cannot be expended for health care benefits for persons not recognized as dependents by current State of Georgia law and policy. The University of Georgia Foundation is totally supported by state employees whose benefits are administered by the University of Georgia.
At the conclusion of the foundation’s annual meeting on June 21, Chairman Bill Young Jr. announced that the executive committee had carefully evaluated the possibility of foundation funds being used for domestic partner benefits and agreed by unanimous vote, with one abstention, that such use was not consistent with, and is outside the purview of, the foundation’s mission.
It’s not clear what domestic partner benefits advocates’ next step is, but we’ll update you when we find out.
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