Current Bills (endorsed by PSU-AAUP):
House Bill 2835 has been scheduled for a hearing session today in the House Committee on Education. The bill requires each community college and public university to hire a benefits navigator to assist students in determining eligibility and applying for federal, state and local benefits programs.
HB 3007, the part-time faculty healthcare bill, was also scheduled for a hearing session today, but has been postponed for at least two weeks.
A hearing session will be scheduled for HB 2873 by the end of this month. The bill alters commissioner composition of Higher Education Coordinating Commission by redesignating five current nonvoting positions as voting positions and by adding one additional position for graduate student attending public university.
New Bill:
HB 3156 was introduced this week. Cosponsored by Debrow, Gorsek, Frederick and Hudson, the bill requires each community college and public university to pay part-time faculty member teaching course offered for academic credit at least 75 percent of salary that would be paid to full-time faculty member with identical levels of education and experience during 2022-2023 academic year and at least 85 percent of salary that would be paid to full-time faculty member with identical levels of education and experience every academic year thereafter.
While faculty unions will endorse the bill, it is unlikely that the bill would gain the support of Sen. Johnson, Sen. Hayward and Rep. Rayfield, the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, because it requires additional state funding.