About These Bills
The Commonwealth has, in recent years, made meaningful progress in expanding access to our public colleges and universities and in addressing the student debt crisis. Yet more work remains to be done to realize the promise of a true, high-quality, debt-free public higher education system. This legislation moves Massachusetts closer to this goal by prioritizing the success of all students and ensuring that all of our dedicated faculty and staff receive the fair wages and benefits needed to recruit and retain a strong workforce.
The Bills
An Act relative to debt-free public higher education
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominster) | Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton)
H.1436 | S.929 | Fact Sheet
- Declares that free public higher education is a right of all residents of Massachusetts, provides free tuition and fees for all students and creates a grant for students who meet the income eligibility for federal Pell Grants that will cover the additional costs of attendance, including, but not limited to, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses.
An Act Promoting an Adjunct Bill of Rights
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Patricia Duffy (D-Holyoke) & Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington) | Sen. Paul Mark (D-Becket)
H.1429 | S.940 | Fact Sheet | S.2880 | S.2880 Fact Sheet
- Makes adjunct faculty who teach half-time or more at one or more public institutions of higher education eligible for a state pension (and the ORP) and health insurance. It also requires that the contribution for adjuncts enrolled in the OBRA retirement savings plan be paid for by the state, ensures wage parity for adjuncts and provides adjuncts with priority consideration for part-time and non-tenure track teaching assignments.
An Act to provide fair wages to employees of public institutions of higher education
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Andy Vargas (D-Haverhill) | Sen. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence)
H.2185 | S.1365 | Fact Sheet
- Ensures that future wages of public higher education employees are at or above the national average when adjusted for cost of living and requires the Commonwealth to pay for the full cost of fringe benefits and collective bargaining agreements.
An Act to provide green and healthy public colleges and universities and address their deferred maintenance needs
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Manny Cruz (D-Salem) & Rep. Aaron Saunders (D-Belchertown) | Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow)
H.1426 | S.949 | Fact Sheet
- Creates a commission relative to energy and environmental improvements on public higher education campuses and a fund to support the commission’s recommendations. It also requires the Commonwealth to assume the existing capital debt of public higher education institutions and to cover the costs for future capital projects, including deferred maintenance.
An Act streamlining state employee collective bargaining
Lead Sponsors: Rep. Rodney Elliott (D-Lowell) | Sen. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence)
H.2820 | S.1364 | Fact Sheet
- Deems collective bargaining agreements to be approved 30 days after their submission to the Legislature unless they are withdrawn by the governor or rejected by a vote of the Legislature. It also allows for existing funds that are held in reserve account to be used to fund the collective bargaining agreements.
