| 1 | 1 | | 81R8053 KCR-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Deshotel H.B. No. 1778 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to exceptions to certain disqualifications from receiving |
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| 8 | 8 | | unemployment benefits. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. Sections 207.045(b) and (d), Labor Code, are |
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| 11 | 11 | | amended to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) A [Except as provided by Subsection (c), a] |
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| 13 | 13 | | disqualification for benefits under this section continues until |
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| 14 | 14 | | the individual has returned to employment and: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) worked for six weeks; or |
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| 16 | 16 | | (2) earned wages equal to six times the individual's |
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| 17 | 17 | | benefit amount. |
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| 18 | 18 | | (d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an |
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| 19 | 19 | | individual who is available to work may not be disqualified for |
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| 20 | 20 | | benefits because the individual left work because of: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) a medically verified illness of the individual or |
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| 22 | 22 | | the individual's minor child; |
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| 23 | 23 | | (2) injury; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (3) disability; |
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| 25 | 25 | | (4) pregnancy; |
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| 26 | 26 | | (5) an involuntary separation as described by Section |
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| 27 | 27 | | 207.046; [or] |
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| 28 | 28 | | (6) a move from the area of the individual's employment |
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| 29 | 29 | | that: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (A) was made with the individual's spouse who is |
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| 31 | 31 | | a member of the armed forces of the United States; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (B) resulted from the spouse's permanent change |
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| 33 | 33 | | of station of longer than 120 days or a tour of duty of longer than |
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| 34 | 34 | | one year; or |
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| 35 | 35 | | (7) a move from the area of the individual's employment |
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| 36 | 36 | | that: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (A) was made with the individual's spouse who is |
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| 38 | 38 | | not a member of the armed forces of the United States; and |
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| 39 | 39 | | (B) resulted from a change in the location of the |
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| 40 | 40 | | spouse's employment. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. Section 207.045(c), Labor Code, is repealed. |
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| 42 | 42 | | SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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| 43 | 43 | | eligibility for unemployment compensation benefits based on a claim |
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| 44 | 44 | | that is filed with the Texas Workforce Commission on or after the |
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| 45 | 45 | | effective date of this Act. A claim filed before the effective date |
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| 46 | 46 | | of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the claim |
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| 47 | 47 | | was filed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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| 48 | 48 | | purpose. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |
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