An Act Regarding Unemployment Benefits for Part-time Faculty at Public Colleges and Universities
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0946
Committee: Labor and Housing
Sponsors: ROEDER, GATTINE, MALON, OSHER, SACHS, SAYRE, SHEEHAN, SUPICA
Amends: 26 MRSA §1192

Legislative Document
No. 946
H.P. 593
House of Representatives, March 2, 2023
An Act Regarding Unemployment Benefits for Part-time Faculty at 
Public Colleges and Universities
Reference to the Committee on Labor and Housing suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ROEDER of Bangor.
Cosponsored by Representatives: GATTINE of Westbrook, MALON of Biddeford, OSHER of 
Orono, SACHS of Freeport, SAYRE of Kennebunk, SHEEHAN of Biddeford, SUPICA of 
Bangor.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  26 MRSA §1192, sub-§7, ¶C, as amended by PL 1977, c. 585, §2, is further 
amended to read:
C.  With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after December 31, 1977, 
benefits shall must be denied to any individual for any week which that commences 
during an established and customary vacation period or holiday recess if such 
individual performs any services described in paragraphs paragraph A or B in the 
period immediately before such vacation period or holiday recess, and there is annual 
written reasonable assurance that such individual will perform any such services in the 
period immediately following such vacation period or holiday recess.;
Sec. 2.  26 MRSA §1192, sub-§7, ¶D, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 515, §14, is 
amended to read:
D.  With respect to weeks of unemployment beginning after June 30, 1979, benefits 
shall must be denied to an individual who performed services in an educational 
institution while in the employ of an educational service agency for any week which 
that commences during a period described in paragraphs A, B and C if that individual 
performs any services described in paragraphs paragraph A or B in the first of these 
periods, as specified in the applicable paragraph, and there is a contract or a reasonable 
assurance as applicable in the appropriate paragraph, that the individual will perform 
these services in the 2nd of these periods, as applicable in the appropriate paragraph. 
For purposes of this paragraph the term, "educational service agency" means a 
governmental agency or governmental entity which that is established and operated 
exclusively for the purposes of providing these services to one or more educational 
institutions.; and
Sec. 3.  26 MRSA §1192, sub-§7, ¶E is enacted to read:
E.  A person is eligible for benefits in the same amount on the same terms as for other 
service subject to this Act if the person satisfies subsections 1 to 4-A, is not disqualified 
under section 1193 and:
(1) Performed services in a public educational institution in an instructional 
capacity on a semester-to-semester, part-time basis for at least 6 consecutive 
academic semesters that constitute at least 3 academic years and is not employed 
by the institution for the next academic semester; or
(2) Performed services in a public educational institution in an instructional 
capacity on a part-time basis and is terminated as a result of the institution 
cancelling the class for which the person was the instructor and the termination 
occurs no later than 60 days after the start of the class.
For purposes of this paragraph, "public educational institution" means the University 
of Maine System, the Maine Community College System and the Maine Maritime 
Academy.  Nothing in this paragraph limits the eligibility of a person for benefits under 
any other provision of this section.
SUMMARY
This bill provides eligibility for unemployment benefits to a person who performed 
services in a public educational institution in an instructional capacity on a part-time basis 
for at least 6 consecutive academic semesters that constitute at least 3 academic years and 
is then not employed by the institution for the next academic semester.  It also provides 
eligibility if the person performed services in a public educational institution in an 
instructional capacity on a part-time basis and is terminated as a result of the institution 
cancelling the class for which the person was the instructor, as long as the termination 
occurs no later than 60 days after the start of the class.