University of California President Richard Atkinson recommended yesterday that the UC Board of Regents adopt health care and student housing benefits for lesbian and gay couples.
In order to be eligible for the benefits, the same-sex partners must be at least 18 years old and unrelated, and must prove that they financially support each other. Berkeley City Council member Kriss Worthington said that the University’s next step is to include heterosexual couples into domestic partner benefits, as is already done by the city of Berkeley.
Regent Stephen Nakashima said he was against the proposed benefits because California state law does not permit domestic partner benefits and UC schools are state-supported. The costs for added benefits is projected to be between $1.9 million and $5.6 million for homosexual couples, and an additional $20 million for heterosexuals.
