The city of Austin, Texas, on Monday announced that it will start offering COBRA-like benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of city employees, the Austin American-Statesman reports.

Same-sex partners of city employees will be offered the same access to health care insurance straight spouses have in the event of job loss, divorce, or death. According to the Human Rights Campaign blog HRC Back Story, Austin is the first U.S. city known to extend such benefits to same-sex couples.

Read the full story at the American-Statesman .