Brief Description: Modifying health care eligibility provisions for part-time academic employees of community and technical colleges.

Sponsors: By Representatives Kenney, Sells, Anderson, Appleton, Morrell, Linville, Roberts, Ormsby, McDermott, Conway, Schual-Berke and Haigh; by request of Health Care Authority.

House Committee on Higher Education
Senate Committee on Higher Education

Background:

Part-time academic employees at community and technical colleges, who are employed on a quarter/semester to quarter/semester basis, are eligible for health benefits beginning the second consecutive quarter of half-time or greater employment. Prior to 2006, they were also eligible for health benefits during the summer, regardless of summer quarter workload, if they worked half-time or more in three of the four quarters preceding the summer quarter. However, part-time academic employees who worked less than half-time in a quarter lost benefits for that quarter as well as the following summer quarter.

Legislation enacted in 2006 provides continued eligibility for health benefits through the summer for part-time academic employees who work at least half-time, on average, in each of the two preceding academic years. Once that requirement is met, benefits continue as long as the employee works half-time or more for at least three of the four quarters of the academic year. Benefits continue through the end of the academic year if eligibility ceases during the academic year.

Summary:

Once eligible for health care benefits, a part-time academic employee will continue to receive such benefits if the employee works at least two quarters of the academic year with an average academic workload of half-time or more for three quarters of the academic year. Benefits cease if this criteria is not met.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   97   0
Senate   47   0   (Senate amended)
House   95   0   (House concurred)

Effective: July 22, 2007