Relates to the calculation of full-time employment for purposes of the federal public service loan forgiveness program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Harry Bronson and 2 co-sponsors

The bill changes PSLF calculations by counting each hour of lecture time as five hours of work for full-time status, improving eligibility timelines for PSLF-qualified faculty.

REPORTED REFERRED TO WAYS AND MEANS

Summary of Bill A 10284 (2025-2026) – New York

Purpose and intent

This bill amends New York Labor Law to adjust how full-time employment is calculated for faculty or teacher employees in relation to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Specifically, it sets a fixed credit for hours worked in relation to lecture or classroom time, to determine full-time employment for PSLF purposes.

Key provisions

Amends Subdivision 1 of section 1001 of the Labor Law (originally added by 2022 legislation).

For public service employers certifying employment after the effective date of this act (i.e., after the 2026 amendments take effect):

Each hour of lecture or classroom time counts as five hours of work for the purposes of determining full-time employment, regardless of when the lecture hours were worked (including hours worked prior to the 2026 effective date).
The previously stated factor of 3.35 hours per one hour of lecture/time is replaced with 5 hours per hour of lecture/time for PSLF calculation.

The provision explicitly states:

This 5-to-1 credit does not override any higher adjustment factors that may be established by a collective bargaining agreement or employer policy related to additional work associated with lecture/classroom time, as those higher factors would still apply for PSLF calculations if applicable.

Effective date: The act takes effect immediately upon enactment.

Who is affected

Faculty or teacher employees whose public service employment is certified by a public service employer for PSLF purposes.

Public service employers (e.g., public colleges, universities, or other public institutions employing faculty/teachers) that certify PSLF-eligible employment.

The change primarily benefits PSLF-eligible employees by increasing the credited hours per hour of instructional time, potentially increasing the likelihood of meeting PSLF eligibility or accelerating the amortization of qualifying payments.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Introduction date: February 20, 2026.

Referred to the Committee on Labor.

The act specifies immediate effect, meaning once enacted, the 5:1 credit applies for certifications after the effective date (and states that the 5:1 calculation applies even to hours worked before the 2026 effective date, for PSLF determinations going forward under the new rule).

No fiscal impact details are provided in the text; the bill focuses on the calculation standard rather than funding.

Practical impact and considerations

For PSLF participants who are faculty/teachers, this change strengthens the credit given for instructional time, potentially reducing the number of qualifying payments required or accelerating eligibility timelines.

The change does not negate any more favorable conditions already established by collective bargaining agreements or employer policies; those higher credits remain applicable if they exist.

Institutions must apply the 5 hours credit per lecture hour for PSLF certification purposes for employment certified after the effective date.

If you’d like, I can provide a comparison of how the 3.35-to-1 rate versus the 5-to-1 rate could affect PSLF timelines for hypothetical scenarios.