| 1 | 1 | | 87R1741 JSC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Rodriguez H.B. No. 145 |
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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 removing the waiting period for unemployment benefit |
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| 8 | 8 | | eligibility. |
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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. Section 207.021(a), Labor Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (a) Except as provided by Chapter 215, an unemployed |
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| 13 | 13 | | individual is eligible to receive benefits for a benefit period if |
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| 14 | 14 | | the individual: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) has registered for work at an employment office |
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| 16 | 16 | | and has continued to report to the employment office as required by |
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| 17 | 17 | | rules adopted by the commission; |
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| 18 | 18 | | (2) has made a claim for benefits under Section |
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| 19 | 19 | | 208.001; |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) is able to work; |
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| 21 | 21 | | (4) is available for work; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (5) is actively seeking work in accordance with rules |
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| 23 | 23 | | adopted by the commission; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (6) for the individual's base period, has benefit wage |
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| 25 | 25 | | credits: |
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| 26 | 26 | | (A) in at least two calendar quarters; and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (B) in an amount not less than 37 times the |
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| 28 | 28 | | individual's benefit amount; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (7) after the beginning date of the individual's most |
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| 30 | 30 | | recent prior benefit year, if applicable, earned wages in an amount |
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| 31 | 31 | | equal to not less than six times the individual's benefit amount; |
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| 32 | 32 | | and |
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| 33 | 33 | | (8) [has been totally or partially unemployed for a |
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| 34 | 34 | | waiting period of at least seven consecutive days; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | [(9)] participates in reemployment services, such as a |
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| 36 | 36 | | job search assistance service, if the individual has been |
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| 37 | 37 | | determined, according to a profiling system established by the |
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| 38 | 38 | | commission, to be likely to exhaust eligibility for regular |
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| 39 | 39 | | benefits and to need those services to obtain new employment, |
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| 40 | 40 | | unless: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (A) the individual has completed participation |
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| 42 | 42 | | in such a service; or |
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| 43 | 43 | | (B) there is reasonable cause, as determined by |
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| 44 | 44 | | the commission, for the individual's failure to participate in |
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| 45 | 45 | | those services. |
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| 46 | 46 | | SECTION 2. The following provisions are repealed: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) Sections 207.021(b) and (c), Labor Code; and |
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| 48 | 48 | | (2) Section 207.0212, Labor Code. |
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| 49 | 49 | | SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 50 | 50 | | to a claim for unemployment compensation benefits filed with the |
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| 51 | 51 | | Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date of this |
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| 52 | 52 | | Act. A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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| 53 | 53 | | by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and the former |
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| 54 | 54 | | law is continued in effect for that purpose. |
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| 55 | 55 | | SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021. |
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