| 1 | 1 | | 87R8099 RDS-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Shaheen H.B. No. 3500 |
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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 a study on updating Texas Workforce Commission |
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| 8 | 8 | | technology for administering benefits under the Unemployment |
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| 9 | 9 | | Compensation Act. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. STUDY ON UPDATED TECHNOLOGY FOR ADMINISTERING |
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| 12 | 12 | | BENEFITS UNDER UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION ACT. (a) In this |
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| 13 | 13 | | section, "commission" means the Texas Workforce Commission. |
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| 14 | 14 | | (b) The commission shall contract with a qualified |
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| 15 | 15 | | independent entity to conduct a study on implementing updated |
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| 16 | 16 | | technology that relies less on staff to process claims for |
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| 17 | 17 | | unemployment benefits. The study must evaluate: |
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| 18 | 18 | | (1) how updated technology would improve the |
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| 19 | 19 | | commission's processes for: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (A) a claimant to file claims for benefits under |
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| 21 | 21 | | Section 208.001, Labor Code, paid through the commission; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (B) a claimant to provide additional information |
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| 23 | 23 | | requested by the commission in relation to a claim for benefits; |
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| 24 | 24 | | (C) the commission to provide notice to a |
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| 25 | 25 | | claimant of the commission's determination of an initial claim |
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| 26 | 26 | | under Section 208.022, Labor Code; |
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| 27 | 27 | | (D) a claimant to request a redetermination of |
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| 28 | 28 | | the commission's determination of the validity of an initial claim |
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| 29 | 29 | | under Section 208.023, Labor Code; |
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| 30 | 30 | | (E) a claimant to appeal the commission's |
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| 31 | 31 | | determination of the validity of an initial claim in the manner |
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| 32 | 32 | | provided by Chapter 212, Labor Code; |
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| 33 | 33 | | (F) the commission to provide notice to a |
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| 34 | 34 | | claimant regarding the status of a request for redetermination or |
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| 35 | 35 | | an appeal; |
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| 36 | 36 | | (G) a claimant to submit requests for benefit |
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| 37 | 37 | | payments; |
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| 38 | 38 | | (H) the commission to provide notice to a |
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| 39 | 39 | | claimant that the claimant is nearing the maximum amount of |
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| 40 | 40 | | benefits allowed under Section 207.005, Labor Code; and |
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| 41 | 41 | | (I) the commission to provide notice to a |
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| 42 | 42 | | claimant that the claimant is eligible for extended benefits under |
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| 43 | 43 | | Section 209.041, Labor Code; and |
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| 44 | 44 | | (2) the commission's capacity to handle increased |
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| 45 | 45 | | telephone and online activity in response to a higher than normal |
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| 46 | 46 | | volume of benefit claims. |
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| 47 | 47 | | (c) Not later than December 1, 2022, the commission shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of |
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| 49 | 49 | | the house of representatives a report that includes the results of |
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| 50 | 50 | | the independent entity's study conducted under Subsection (b) of |
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| 51 | 51 | | this section and the commission's recommendations for legislative |
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| 52 | 52 | | or other action based on the study. |
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| 53 | 53 | | (d) This section expires January 1, 2023. |
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| 54 | 54 | | SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September |
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| 55 | 55 | | 1, 2021. |
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