Berkeley May Fund Employee Transition Surgeries

The Berkeley city council will consider a proposal to use taxpayer money to maintain a fund for gender-reassignment for city employees.

According totheSan Francisco Chronicle, council members decided Tuesday to postpone a vote on the issue until February 15.

The proposal would require the city to maintain a $20,000 fund to be disbursed on a first-come, first-served basis to employees seeking gender-reassignment surgery.

The city's health care providers, Kaiser Permanent and Health Net, don't pay for the surgery under the current health plan. Gender-reassignment surgeries can cost up to $50,000.