HLS 21RS-3814 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 122
BY REPRESENTATIVE LYONS
UNEMPLOYMENT COMP: Continues the Unemployment Compensation and Trust Fund
Task Force
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To continue the Unemployment Compensation and Trust Fund Task Force that was created
3 pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 36 of the 2020 Second Extraordinary
4 Session of the Legislature of Louisiana to study and make recommendations for
5 replenishing the unemployment trust fund and increasing the unemployment
6 compensation weekly benefit amount and to submit a written report of its findings
7 and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana not later than thirty days prior
8 to the convening of the 2022 Regular Session.
9 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic in March
102020, which caused some businesses to reduce their employees' hours or to temporarily, and
11in some cases, permanently, shut down and lay off employees; and
12 WHEREAS, the state is returning to some semblance of normalcy and as a result,
13businesses are also opening to full capacity and employees are returning back to work;
14however, there is still an unprecedented number of individuals who are filing for
15unemployment compensation benefits; and
16 WHEREAS, at the beginning of March 2020, the state's unemployment trust fund,
17which was solvent and prosperous, had a balance of approximately one billion five hundred
18million dollars; and
19 WHEREAS, as of May 2021, the state's unemployment trust fund, which was greatly
20depleted as a result of the unprecedented payment of unemployment compensation benefits,
21now has a balance of approximately fifty-one million dollars; and
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HCR NO. 122
1 WHEREAS, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is recognized that
2businesses have suffered a great economic impact; however, unemployed and partially
3employed workers have also suffered a great financial impact; and
4 WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana pays the third lowest average weekly benefit
5amounts of any state in the United States; and
6 WHEREAS, as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, unemployed and
7partially employed workers have struggled to cover household expenses, such as rent or
8mortgage, groceries, and utilities, and attempt to survive on a maximum weekly benefit
9amount of two hundred forty-seven dollars; and
10 WHEREAS, an increase in the maximum weekly benefit amount in the state's
11unemployment compensation program will not only greatly assist unemployed and partially
12employed Louisiana workers, but will have a significant impact on local economies; and
13 WHEREAS, Louisiana Law, R.S. 23:1474, provides that the unemployment trust
14fund offers a decrease in the tax rate for employers, a ten percent discount for employers,
15and an increase in the unemployment compensation weekly benefit amounts when the trust
16fund has reached a specific balance range; and
17 WHEREAS, this statutory provision and others should be examined to determine
18practical and feasible ways to replenish the unemployment trust fund and increase the
19unemployment compensation maximum weekly benefit amounts for claimants.
20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
21continue the Unemployment Compensation and Trust Fund Task Force to study and make
22recommendations for replenishing the unemployment trust fund and increasing the
23unemployment compensation weekly benefit amount and to submit a written report of its
24findings and recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana not later than thirty days prior
25to the convening of the 2022 Regular Session.
26 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the membership of the task force shall continue
27to be as provided for in House Concurrent Resolution No. 36 of the 2020 Second
28Extraordinary Session of the Legislature of Louisiana as follows:
29 (1)The president of the Senate or his designee.
30 (2)The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.
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HCR NO. 122
1 (3)The secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his designee.
2 (4)One representative from the Louisiana AFL-CIO.
3 (5)One representative from the Louisiana Budget Project.
4 (6)One representative from the Workplace Justice Project.
5 (7)One representative from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.
6 (8)One representative from the National Federation of Independent Business.
7 (9)One representative from Greater New Orleans, Inc.
8 (10)One representative from Louisiana Women Lead.
9 (11)One representative from the Louisiana Community and Technical College
10 System.
11 (12)The Revenue Estimating Conference faculty member with revenue
12 forecasting expertise.
13 (13)One representative from North Louisiana Economic Partnership.
14 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Workforce Commission shall
15continue to provide staff support as needed by the task force.
16 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall continue to meet as
17frequently as it deems necessary for the timely performance of its duties.
18 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall continue to study and make
19recommendations to matters that include but are not limited to the following:
20 (1)Mechanisms or measures to replenish the unemployment trust fund.
21 (2)Mechanisms or measures to generate at least one billion five hundred million
22 dollars for the unemployment trust fund.
23 (3)The advantages and disadvantages of increasing the weekly benefit amount.
24 (4)Mechanisms or measures to increase the weekly benefit amount.
25 (5)Mechanisms or measures for assisting the unemployed to re-enter the
26 workforce, including training needed to develop new skills required for
27 available jobs.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution be transmitted to the secretary
29of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, the president of the Louisiana Association of
30Business and Industry, the Louisiana state director of the National Federation of Independent
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HCR NO. 122
1Business, the president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, the executive director of the Louisiana
2Budget Project, the director of the Workplace Justice Project, the president of Greater New
3Orleans, Inc., the executive director of Louisiana Women Lead, the president of the
4Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and the faculty member serving on
5the Revenue Estimating Conference.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 122 Original 2021 Regular Session Lyons
Continues the Unemployment Compensation and Trust Fund Task Force to study and report
its findings and recommendations for replenishing the unemployment trust fund and
increasing the unemployment compensation weekly benefit amount to the Legislature of La.
not later than 30 days prior to the convening of the 2022 R.S.
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