Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to allocate funds to provide hospital medical and dental benefits to part-time or adjunct faculty at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities who currently do not receive such benefits. It also seeks to gather data on faculty participation to better estimate ongoing costs.

Main Provisions

• Funding for Benefits: Provides appropriations from the general fund in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to offer health and dental benefits to part-time or adjunct faculty who teach six or more credits annually.
• Data Collection: Mandates data collection to evaluate faculty participation and estimate future costs for continuing the benefits program.
• Reporting Requirement: The Board of Trustees for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is required to submit a report by November 1, 2027, including the collected data and cost estimates to relevant legislative committees.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new health coverage benefit for part-time or adjunct faculty, which was not previously available to those teaching six or more credits. This represents an expansion of employee benefits within the public higher education system in Minnesota.

Relevant Terms

• Higher education
• Part-time faculty benefits
• Adjunct faculty health coverage
• Medical and dental benefits
• Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
• Appropriations
• Data collection
• Benefit participation report