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House Labor & Industry committee reports bill to expedite unemployment benefits for domestic violence survivors
Summary
The House and Labor & Industry Committee reported House Bill 274 as amended to allow people experiencing domestic violence who voluntarily leave work for safety reasons to qualify for unemployment compensation and to receive expedited eligibility determinations.
The House and Labor & Industry Committee on Oct. 12 reported House Bill 274, printers number 218, as amended to allow individuals experiencing domestic violence to qualify for unemployment compensation if they voluntarily leave their job because continuing employment threatens their safety or the safety of a household member.
A sponsor whose name was not specified on the record presented the bill and said the change would align the statute with current Department of Labor & Industry practice and speed determinations for such claims. "House Bill 274 . . . amends unemployment compensation law to allow individuals experiencing domestic violence to qualify for unemployment benefits if they voluntarily leave their job because their continued employment threatens their safety or the safety of a member of their family or household," Ryan, a committee staff member, summarized for the record.
The sponsor offered a written amendment, agreed with Chairman Grove, which replaces the word "documentation" with "verification" on page 2, line 28 to clarify that domestic-violence-related claims receive expedited review. "The amendment replaces the word documentation with verification ... to clarify that all domestic violence related claims receive an expedited review," Ryan explained during the committee meeting.
Representative Rick Kojewski seconded the motion to adopt the amendment. Chairman Grove, chair of the committee, asked whether there were any negative votes and said, "I don't believe we have any negative votes on the amendment. Nope. Seeing none." The committee recorded no opposition to the amendment and reported the bill as amended from the House and Labor & Industry Committee.
Committee members noted last session a similar bipartisan measure passed the committee but did not receive final passage in the Senate. The sponsor said the current bill codifies Department of Labor & Industry practice and was projected to have no fiscal impact on the Commonwealth, but no fiscal figures were presented on the record.
No roll-call vote counts were recorded in the transcript; the committee proceeded by voice and unanimous consent on the amendment and on reporting the bill as amended.
The committee adjourned after reporting the bill; no additional actions on the measure were recorded in this meeting.
