Locally, DPB are offered at Hillsborough Community College and at Stetson University, which has its law school in Tampa. Only two state universities (University of Florida and Florida International) offer DPB, and both use foundation funds to pay the cost, according to the Sun Sentinel.
In Florida, the southeast coast seems to be the leader in DPB. One of only two state universities to allow such benefits is in Miami, for example, and the benefits are common at community colleges throughout Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and the Keys. Private universities such as the University of Miami, Lynn and Nova Southeastern offer the benefits.
DPB haven’t quite made their way north though. North of Broward, in Palm Beach County, Florida Atlantic University is now considering adding DPB, but even further north at Palm Beach Community College, though the chairwoman supported DPB, a vote by PBCC’s Board of Trustees ended with a tie this August, meaning DPB will not be extended there. Group coverage was, however, extended to employee pets.
PBCC would not have to pay extra for DPB because employees there pay the premiums for their spouses and pets.
United Faculty of Florida, a faculty union, had requested the domestic partner benefits.
“It would show a commitment to the diversity that [PBCC] is always saying we have,” union president Robert Krull told the Sentinel.
A state consortium of community colleges provides insurance for several of the colleges and recently began allowing each one to decide whether to offer DPB.
UT’s insurance provider ICUBA also allows individual universities to determine for themselves whether to offer DPB. At least four, including Nova Southeastern and Rollins, both UT competitors, have already opted in.
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