| 3 | 2 | | *CRH039* 02-02-2023 09:29:20 CRH039 |
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| 4 | 3 | | |
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| 5 | 4 | | State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H2/2/23 1 |
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| 6 | 5 | | 94th General Assembly A Bill 2 |
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| 7 | 6 | | Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1197 3 |
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| 8 | 7 | | 4 |
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| 9 | 8 | | By: Representative Underwood 5 |
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| 10 | 9 | | By: Senator Gilmore 6 |
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| 11 | 10 | | 7 |
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| 12 | 11 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 13 | 12 | | AN ACT CONCERNING DI SQUALIFICATION FOR U NEMPLOYMENT 9 |
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| 14 | 13 | | COMPENSATION BENEFIT S UNDER THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE 10 |
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| 15 | 14 | | SERVICES LAW; TO PRO HIBIT A CLAIMANT FOR UNEMPLOYMENT 11 |
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| 16 | 15 | | COMPENSATION BENEFIT S FROM "GHOSTING" PR OSPECTIVE 12 |
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| 17 | 16 | | EMPLOYERS; AND FOR O THER PURPOSES. 13 |
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| 18 | 17 | | 14 |
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| 19 | 18 | | 15 |
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| 20 | 19 | | Subtitle 16 |
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| 21 | 20 | | CONCERNING DISQUALIFICATION FOR 17 |
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| 22 | 21 | | UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS UNDER 18 |
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| 23 | 22 | | THE DIVISION OF WORKFORCE SERVICES LAW; 19 |
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| 24 | 23 | | AND TO PROHIBIT A CLAIMANT FOR 20 |
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| 25 | 24 | | UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS FROM 21 |
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| 26 | 25 | | "GHOSTING" PROSPECTIVE E MPLOYERS. 22 |
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| 27 | 26 | | 23 |
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| 28 | 27 | | 24 |
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| 29 | 28 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 25 |
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| 30 | 29 | | 26 |
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| 31 | 30 | | SECTION 1. DO NOT CODIFY. Title — Purpose. 27 |
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| 32 | 31 | | (a) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Prohibiting 28 |
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| 33 | 32 | | Unemployment Claimants from Ghosting Employers Act of 2023". 29 |
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| 34 | 33 | | (b) The purpose of this act is to disqualify a claimant from 30 |
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| 35 | 34 | | collecting unemployment compensation benefits for any week that the claimant 31 |
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| 36 | 35 | | fails to respond to an offer of employment or fails to appear for a 32 |
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| 37 | 36 | | previously scheduled job interview. 33 |
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| 38 | 37 | | 34 |
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| 39 | 38 | | SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 11 -10-515(a)(1)(A), concerning the 35 |
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| 40 | 39 | | disqualification for unemployment compensation benefits due to failure or 36 As Engrossed: H2/2/23 HB1197 |
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| 41 | 40 | | |
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| 42 | 41 | | 2 02-02-2023 09:29:20 CRH039 |
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| 43 | 42 | | |
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| 44 | 43 | | |
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| 45 | 44 | | refusal to apply for or accept suitable work under the Division of Workforce 1 |
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| 46 | 45 | | Services Law, is amended to read as follows: 2 |
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| 47 | 46 | | (a)(1)(A) If so found by the Director of the Division of Workforce 3 |
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| 48 | 47 | | Services, an individual shall be disqualified for benefits if he or she has 4 |
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| 49 | 48 | | failed without good cause: 5 |
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| 50 | 49 | | (i) To apply for available suitable work when so 6 |
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| 51 | 50 | | directed by a Division of Workforce Services office; or 7 |
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| 52 | 51 | | (ii) To accept available suitable work when offered 8 |
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| 53 | 52 | | within five (5) business days of the offer of a job; or 9 |
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| 54 | 53 | | (iii)(a) To appear for a previously scheduled job 10 |
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| 55 | 54 | | interview on at least two (2) occasions without notifying the prospective 11 |
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| 56 | 55 | | employer of the need to cancel or reschedule the job interview. 12 |
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| 57 | 56 | | (b) A prospective employer may notify the 13 |
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| 58 | 57 | | division of the individual's failure to appear for a scheduled job interview 14 |
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| 59 | 58 | | through an online portal established by the division or through an email or 15 |
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| 60 | 59 | | telephone number designated for reporting noncompliance. 16 |
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| 61 | 60 | | (c) Before the director disqualifies an 17 |
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| 62 | 61 | | individual from a week of unemployment compensation benefits for 18 |
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| 63 | 62 | | noncompliance under this subdivision (a)(1)(A)(iii), the director shall 19 |
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| 64 | 63 | | verify the information submitted by the employer under subdivision 20 |
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| 65 | 64 | | (a)(1)(A)(iii)(b) of this section. 21 |
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| 66 | 65 | | 22 |
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| 67 | 66 | | SECTION 3. DO NOT CODIFY. EFFECTIVE DATE. This act is effective on 23 |
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| 68 | 67 | | and after January 1, 2024. 24 |
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| 69 | 68 | | 25 |
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| 70 | 69 | | /s/Underwood 26 |
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| 71 | 70 | | 27 |
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| 72 | 71 | | 28 |
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