The House Labor and Industry Committee recently held a hearing on 11 bills that would update the unemployment compensation (UC) assistance system.
The committee noted that the system could not handle an increase in claims during the recession of 2008 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The General Assembly has heard of constituent hardships that have occurred in not getting unemployment compensation payments on time, the fraud occurring, and frustrating lack of communication,” said State Rep. Steve Mentzer (R-Lititz), a member of the House L&I Committee. “We need to be proactive going forward, not just for the people desperate for funds, but also for the state workers who are overwhelmed.”
House Bill 90 would extend eligibility to include work stoppage caused by a labor dispute.
House Bill 129 would require appeal hearings to be conducted by telephone.
House Bill 177 would require a claimant to earn 15-times their benefit rate and worked ten credit weeks before re-qualifying for benefits.
House Bill 390 exempts H-2A visa workers and their employers from paying UC taxes on their wages.
House Bill 535 would require the governor to assess the UC office and UC service centers’ staffing needs and increase staff if a disaster is declared or renewed.
House Bill 543 would add a provision that allows individuals with disabilities to request reasonable accommodations if required to take re-employment classes.
House Bill 549 removes the credit week, waiting week, and severance pay requirements.
House Bill 595 amends the definition of “unemployed” to provide eligibility for claimants working full-time.
House Bill 597 would expand eligibility for corporate officers.
“The current administration has not been able to address these issues, so obviously, legislation to fix the problems is needed,” Mentzer concluded.