Bill > H0175

This bill clarifies the conditions under which adjunct faculty members can receive unemployment insurance benefits between academic years. Specifically, the bill provides a detailed definition of "reasonable assurance" of future employment for educational institutions, which previously was not clearly defined. The new definition requires that any job offer for the following academic year must meet several specific criteria, including: being made by someone with actual hiring authority, offering employment in the same capacity as the current year, maintaining at least 90% of the current year's earnings, not being contingent on factors within the institution's control (such as course programming or funding), and having a high probability of actual job availability. The bill aims to protect adjunct faculty who may be uncertain about their continued employment from semester to semester, ensuring they can access unemployment benefits if they do not have a genuine, substantive offer of continued work. The legislative changes will take effect on July 1, 2025, providing clarity and potentially additional financial security for contingent faculty members in educational institutions.

Business and Industry, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.175