Committee hears bill to create wage-replacement program for workers excluded from unemployment insurance

House Bill 17-73 would create a new wage-replacement program for workers who are currently excluded from regular unemployment insurance coverage. The bill directs the Employment Security Department (ESD) to select a third-party administrator to run the program, allows benefit applications beginning 01/01/2027, and requires claimants to show they worked at least 680 hours in the base year and meet other eligibility and residency criteria.

Staff explained that eligibility mirrors many unemployment insurance (UI) rules — for example, a claimant must demonstrate they were unemployed through no fault of their own, have worked 680 hours in the base year and complete a one-week waiting period. The staff briefing emphasized privacy and record limits: the bill would prohibit collecting certain demographic or immigration-status information for claimants, require…