Bill > HB490

This bill allows public postsecondary education institutions in Kentucky to remove faculty members for "bona fide financial reasons," which include financial exigency (a severe financial crisis), low enrollment in a specific program, or a mismatch between revenue and costs in a particular college, department, program, or major. Previously, faculty could only be removed for cause, such as incompetence, neglect of duty, immoral conduct, or failure to meet performance standards. The bill requires the boards of regents and trustees at these institutions to establish a process for these financial-based removals, ensuring faculty receive 30 days' written notice of the reason for removal and an opportunity to respond before the board. This change is declared an emergency, meaning it takes effect immediately upon becoming law, to enable institutions to make necessary fiscal decisions.