The Dane County Board voted Thursday night to require companies that work for the county on contracts worth $5,000 or more to offer health benefits to their employees’ domestic partners. The county already offers domestic partner benefits to its own employees.
The ordinance, which passed on a voice vote, also creates a registry for same-sex or other non-married domestic partners, a registry the city of Madison has had since 1990 but no other county in the state offers.
Domestic partners need to have been in a committed relationship for at least 90 days to register.