Bill > H2206

This bill expands eligibility for the state employees' retirement system to part-time higher education faculty in Massachusetts, allowing them to earn creditable service for their teaching. Specifically, faculty who teach the equivalent of at least two three-credit courses per semester or four three-credit courses per year at any state higher education institution, including continuing education divisions and regardless of funding source, will be considered employees eligible for retirement system membership. The bill also clarifies that for these faculty, actual service teaching the equivalent of four three-credit courses per year will be credited as at least half a year of service, and previous service meeting this teaching threshold will be recognized. Furthermore, the full salary and wages earned by these part-time faculty for teaching credit courses will be considered regular compensation for calculating retirement deductions. Finally, part-time faculty hired on or after January 1, 1978, who have not accumulated five years of creditable service before leaving their employment, will receive a refund of their accumulated deductions instead of a retirement allowance.