Federal changes could threaten NYSHESC jobs
Among the dramas playing
out in the nation’s capital is at least one that could threaten PEF members’
jobs.
President Obama’s Direct Student Loan proposal would change the federal
student loan program by eliminating student loans made by banks that are
guaranteed by the federal government. Instead, the student loans would be
made directly by the federal government.
Employees, including PEF members, at the NYS Higher Education Services
Corporation (HESC) process the guaranteed loans. Their jobs could be
threatened by a switch to direct federal loans.
PEF is working aggressively with its affiliate, the American Federation of
Teachers, to advocate that state agencies continue to have a role in the
servicing, financial literacy and collections process under the new federal
program, if it is adopted.
PEF President Ken Brynien has written to New York’s representatives in the
House and Senate to alert them to the danger this proposal may pose to the
jobs of PEF members and others at HESC.
– John Murphy and Sherry Halbrook
By
SHERRY HALBROOK
Slow is rarely exciting or even interesting, but the state Senate found a way
this year to come to a dead stop and attract more attention than if it had set a
new land speed record.
Eventually, however, the political-leadership stalemate that shutdown
legislation in the Senate in June was resolved in early July and some bills were
passed in what was technically a series of special sessions, since both houses
had already recessed.
According to PEF Legislative Director and Counsel Brian Curran, a total of 11
bills that PEF supports have been passed by both houses. Six of those have been
signed into law by Gov. David Paterson, so far, and one was vetoed.
Several of these bills deal with making public authorities more accountable.
“The momentum our Go Public campaign generated for reform, transparency and
accountability in the conduct of the public’s business is still paying
dividends,” said PEF President Ken Brynien.
“State Assembly Member Richard Brodsky sponsored two important bills to reform
public authorities that will soon go to Gov. Paterson,” Brynien said. “We urge
the governor to sign them and restore legislative and public control.”
They’re the law, now
Of the six bills already signed into law, two were reported previously in The
Communicator. One of them extended the injunctive relief provision of state
Civil Service Law for two more years, and the other made minor technical
corrections to existing law to implement the PS&T contract.
The four bills most recently signed into law are:
1. S.60428/A.8423, which extends the procurement lobbying
restrictions of a PEF Go Public law enacted in 2005. This new legislation
extends provisions of the Procurement Lobbying Law that would have expired July
31. The law requires lobbyists who attempt to influence the award of state
contracts to register with the Commission on Public Integrity. It also regulates
their activities and requires public disclosure about lobbying activities
related to contracts and other state actions.
2. S.2312/A.5808, which extends for another two years temporary
pension benefits under various provisions of the Retirement and Social Security
Law. This includes the authorization to continue payment of existing pension
supplements to retired public employees.
3. S.5965/A.8954, which includes in Section 11 of the bill a
provision for the payment of a Firearms Training and Safety Incentive to peace
officers who are members of the PS&T Unit. This implements the terms of a pilot
program in the contract.
4. S.4809/A.5049, which exempts state employees who are
laid-off from restrictions under the state Ethics Law that prohibit, for two
years after leaving state service, their appearance in a professional capacity
before their former state agencies.
So far, the only PEF-supported bill that’s been vetoed is
S.1948B/A.2247B. It would have required the state Labor Department to
study hostile and abusive workplace behaviors and recommend solutions to them.
Up to the governor
The four other bills supported by PEF that passed in both houses will be sent to
the governor in the coming weeks and months for his signature or veto. They are:
1. S.1537C/A.2209C, called the Public Authority Reform Act,
this bill would: increase public oversight over the state’s more than 700 public
authorities and public benefit corporations; establish an Authorities Budget
Office to examine their finances, review their functions and recommend their
consolidation with other governmental bodies; set higher standards for fiduciary
responsibility and accountability for their management; require them to get
legislative approval before creating new subsidiaries; and empower the state
comptroller to pre-audit their contracts.
2. S.3508/A.4343, which would limit a public authority’s
ability to contract for services that would usually be performed in-house. It
would require a cost-benefit analysis demonstrating savings prior to entering
into contracts for professional, maintenance, clerical and technical services.
3. S.3527/A.1752A, called the Nursing Care Quality Protection
Act, this bill would require hospitals to disclose: the number of licensed
nurses providing direct care; the ratio of RNs to patients; staffing practices;
the number of adverse patient-care incidents; medication errors; patient
injuries; and complaints filed with regulators.
4. S4200/A8219, which would allow the state Office of
Professional Discipline to impose a 15 percent surcharge on all registration
fees except those dedicated to the Professional Medical Conduct Account.
