BILL NUMBER: S9174REVISED 2/11/2026
SPONSOR: RAMOS
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the labor law, in relation to the calculation of full-
time employment for purposes of the federal public service loan forgive-
ness program
 
PURPOSE:
Change how eligibility for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness
(PSLF) is calculated for non-tenure track faculty
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 increases the work hours credited for faculty and teacher
employees under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. For
every hour of lecture or classroom time, public service employers must
now credit 5.0 hours worked (up from 3.35), regardless of when the work
occurred, including hours worked before the provision takes effect.
Section 2 provides the effective date
 
JUSTIFICATION:
This legislation recognizes the hard work of public-sector adjunct
faculty members. Unfortunately, student loan debt is a major constraint
on individuals and their families. Americans owe a combined $1.6 tril-
lion in federal student loans, and this legislation would go a long way
in helping alleviate this crushing debt for New York's public higher
education employees. At a time when the federal government has attacked
public employees and higher education and attempted to restrict access
to the PSLF program, it is crucial for New York to stand up against
federal threats and demonstrate appreciation for its public employees.
Amid these attacks, New York has the opportunity to demonstrate how
valuable our public higher education institutions and public employees
are.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill
 
FISCAL IMPACT:
TBD
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S9174: 1001 labor law, 1001(1) labor law