On February 8, 2017, Governor Walker presented his 2017-2019 State Budget to the Legislature. The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has completed an initial review of the budget bill. The following provisions (proposals) relate to the Domestic Partnership Benefits Program that ETF administers:
Eliminates the Chapter 40 Domestic Partnership Program on the effective date of the bill; however, grandfathers existing domestic partnerships for purposes of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits. Additionally, group health insurance coverage under a group health plan offered by the Group Insurance Board (GIB) would no longer be extended to an employee’s domestic partner, effective January 1, 2018. It also provides that a surviving domestic partner is not a default beneficiary for purposes of a deferred compensation plan and is not eligible to receive duty disability survivorship benefits for deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2018.
There is no indication at this point in time what the final outcome will be once this proposal goes through the legislative process. ETF will continue reviewing the budget bill to identify all implications for the Wisconsin Retirement System and ETF-administered benefit programs. In late June, the Legislature will deliver an amended budget bill to Governor Walker for review, approval and/or partial veto of the budget to be effective July 1, 2017.
Below is a link to the entire budget bill:
- Executive Budget – 2017 AB 64
- Budget in Brief
Please see ETF’s website for additional information and contact Tarna Hunter, ETF’s Government Relations Director, or the Human Resources Office at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu if you have any questions.