An Act to authorize creditable service for certain public higher education faculty and professional employees

This bill allows faculty and professional staff at public colleges and universities in Massachusetts to count unpaid leave time as creditable service for their state retirement pensions. Specifically, it applies to employees who take unpaid leave to accept prestigious awards, fellowships, scholarships, or special assignments that benefit both the individual and their institution. To qualify, eligible workers must pay the required retirement contributions into the state system for the leave period, either as a lump sum or in installments, based on their pre-leave salary. The legislation permits up to two years of such service to be added to their records before retirement to help calculate their final pension allowance.