| 1 | 1 | | 81R6025 KSD-D |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | By: Burnam H.B. No. 1072 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | relating to unemployment compensation benefit eligibility. |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Section 207.021, Labor Code, is amended by |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | adding Subsection (d) to read as follows: |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | (d) An individual is available for work for purposes of |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | Subsection (a)(4) even if the individual is available only for |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | part-time work unless the majority of the weeks worked by the |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | individual during the individual's base period did not include |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | part-time work. |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 209, Labor Code, is amended by adding |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | Subchapter F to read as follows: |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | SUBCHAPTER F. EXTENDED BENEFITS FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ENROLLED |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | IN CERTAIN TRAINING PROGRAMS |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Sec. 209.101. ELIGIBILITY FOR EXTENDED BENEFITS. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an individual |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | is entitled to extended benefits as provided by this subchapter if |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | the individual: |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | (1) is unemployed; |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | (2) has exhausted all regular benefits; and |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (3) is enrolled in, and making satisfactory progress |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | toward completion of, a commission-approved training program or a |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | job training program under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | U.S.C. Section 2801 et seq.) designed to prepare individuals who |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | have been separated from a declining occupation or who have been |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | involuntarily and indefinitely separated from employment as a |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | result of a permanent reduction of operations at the individual's |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | place of employment for entry into a high-demand occupation. |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | Sec. 209.102. DURATION AND AMOUNT OF EXTENDED BENEFITS. |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, an |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | eligible individual under Section 209.101 is entitled to receive |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | extended benefits under this subchapter until the earlier of: |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | (1) the date the individual completes the training |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | program; or |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | (2) the expiration of 26 additional benefit periods. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | the weekly amount of extended benefits payable to an eligible |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | individual under Section 209.101 is an amount equal to the |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | individual's average weekly benefit amount for the most recent |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | benefit year. |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits based on a claim |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | that is filed with the Texas Workforce Commission on or after the |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | effective date of this Act. A claim filed before the effective date |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the claim |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | purpose. |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
|---|