S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         7875
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                     May 28, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. TITUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Labor
       AN ACT to amend the labor law, in  relation  to  unemployment  insurance
         benefits for professional employment by certain education institutions
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "Higher
    2  Education Employment Protection Act."
    3    S  2.  Subdivision  10  of  section 590 of the labor law is amended by
    4  adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
    5    (D) IN THE CASE OF COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES ASSIGNED THE NORTH  AMERI-
    6  CAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION CODE 611310 OR 611210 FOR SERVICES PERFORMED
    7  IN  A  PRINCIPAL,  ADMINISTRATIVE,  RESEARCH OR INSTRUCTIONAL CAPACITY A
    8  PERSON IS PRESUMED NOT TO HAVE REASONABLE ASSURANCE UNDER AN OFFER  THAT
    9  IS CONDITIONED ON ENROLLMENT, FUNDING OR PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES. IT IS THE
   10  EMPLOYER'S  BURDEN  TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION TO OVERCOME THIS
   11  PRESUMPTION. REASONABLE ASSURANCE MUST BE DETERMINED ON  A  CASE-BY-CASE
   12  BASIS  BY  THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF EVIDENCE RATHER THAN THE EXISTENCE OF ANY
   13  ONE FACTOR. PRIMARY WEIGHT MUST BE GIVEN TO THE CONTINGENT NATURE OF  AN
   14  OFFER  OF  EMPLOYMENT  BASED ON ENROLLMENT, FUNDING AND PROGRAM CHANGES.
   15  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT IN ANY UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROCEEDING A WRIT-
   16  TEN LETTER FROM AN EMPLOYER TO AN EMPLOYEE WHICH MAKES EMPLOYMENT CONDI-
   17  TIONAL SHALL NOT BE PRIMA FACIE EVIDENCE OF REASONABLE ASSURANCE  TO  BE
   18  USED TO DENY A CLAIM FOR UNEMPLOYMENT.
   19    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD11410-01-5