Summary:

 House Bill 69 (HB 69) establishes the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Multiplier Act, providing a mechanism for adjunct and contingent faculty at post-secondary institutions to have their employment hours more accurately counted for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The bill requires public service employers to certify employment and disseminate information about PSLF to employees. HB 69 takes effect on July 1, 2025. 

Legislation Overview:

 House Bill 69 (HB 69) enhances access to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for adjunct and contingent faculty at post-secondary educational institutions. The key provisions include several measures to enhance fairness and transparency in determining Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligibility. First, the bill introduces a standardized hour multiplier of 4.35 hours for every hour of classroom or contact time for adjunct and contingent faculty. This adjustment accounts for additional work, such as grading and preparation, and applies retroactively to hours worked on or after October 1, 2007, for PSLF eligibility determination. Second, it mandates that public service employers, such as post-secondary institutions, certify employment for all current and former employees upon request or when employment ends. Employers are also required to adopt policies to maximize the time adjunct and contingent faculty employment can be counted as full-time. Additionally, the Higher Education Department is directed to develop materials promoting awareness of the PSLF program, while public service employers must provide PSLF information to employees annually and within 30 days of onboarding new employees. Finally, the bill stipulates that if the U.S. Department of Education issues more favorable rules for PSLF hour calculations, those rules will take precedence to ensure alignment with federal standards.

Fiscal Impacts 
HB 69 will increase administrative costs for public service employers to comply with certification and dissemination requirements. These costs include certifying employment, updating payroll systems to apply the hour multiplier, and developing and distributing PSLF materials. However, these measures aim to reduce barriers to federal loan forgiveness for employees, indirectly benefiting the state by supporting the workforce in higher education.
 

Current Law:

 Under current law, adjunct and contingent faculty often face challenges in meeting PSLF’s full-time employment requirements due to inadequate recognition of their work hours. No state mandate exists requiring public service employers to certify employment or disseminate PSLF-related information, leaving gaps in access and awareness for eligible employees.