Oregon committee hears bill to let employment director waive unemployment waiting week for severe-weather closures

Representative Rob Nosse, sponsor of House Bill 2125, told the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards on Feb. 5 that the measure would allow the director of the Oregon Employment Department to waive the unpaid waiting week for unemployment insurance claimants affected by severe-weather emergencies.

The bill would not eliminate other eligibility tests for benefits, the department told the committee. Lindsay Leahy, director of the Unemployment Insurance Division at the Oregon Employment Department, said the department estimates "about 400 people per biennium would be eligible to receive these additional benefits," and that "approximately 1,200 people per biennium will receive decisions about 3 weeks faster" if the provision is used.

Why it matters: Small-business owners and worker advocates said the current one-week unpaid waiting period leaves employees with no quick source of income during short closures for…