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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: September 21, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~_ <br />SUBJECT: Benefits for Domestic Partners -Implementation and Personnel Ordinance <br />Revisions <br />DEPARTMENT: Personnel PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />1 -Draft Personnel Ordinance Revisions <br />2 - Declaration of Domestic Partner <br />Status <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Elaine Holmes, Personnel Director, <br />Extension 2550 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732.8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider and adopt the implementing policy to provide County employee <br />benefits for domestic partners effective January 1, 2005. <br />BACKGROUND: At the Board of Commissioners' November 2003 employee pay and benefits <br />work session, the Board decided to provide benefits for domestic partners with the County's <br />health insurance renewal effective Januuary 1, 2005. The approved 2004-05 budget included <br />funds ($10,500) to implement this coverage. <br />This agenda abstract provides for the Board's consideration the implementing policy to make <br />this coverage effective January 1, 2005. This implementing policy includes the definition of <br />domestic partner, the benefits to be provided with such coverage and the necessary Personnel <br />Ordinance revisions. With the Board's adoption of the implementing policy, staff will offer this <br />coverage during the upcoming benefits open enrollment period for 2005 scheduled to begin in <br />mid-October. <br />Domestic Partner Definition <br />The County's health insurance provider -the North Carolina Association of County <br />Commissioners Health Insurance Trust -requires that the County apply its definition of <br />domestic partner in making health insurance available for domestic partners, This is the <br />definition proposed below. The Health Insurance Trust does not specify whether such benefits <br />should be limited to persons of the same gender or may be offered to both persons of the same <br />or opposite gender. The proposed definition below provides for coverage for both persons of <br />the same or opposite gender, <br />As incorporated in the Attachment 1 Personnel Ordinance revision, the proposed definition of <br />domestic partner is as follows: <br />