Unemployment insurance work search and registration and granting rule-making authority. (FE)

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, a claimant for unemployment insurance benefits is generally required to register for work and to conduct a work search for each week in order to remain eligible. Current law requires the Department of Workforce Development to waive these requirements under certain circumstances, for example, if a claimant who is laid off from work reasonably expects to be recalled to work within 12 weeks, will start a new job within four weeks, routinely obtains work through a labor union referral, or is participating in a training or work share program. Under current law, DWD may modify the statutory waivers or establish additional waivers by rule only if doing so is required or specifically allowed by federal law.

This bill removes the waiver requirements from statute and instead allows DWD to establish waivers for the registration for work and work search requirements by rule. DWD may establish a waiver by emergency rule if the secretary of workforce development determines that the waiver is needed only on a temporary basis or that permanent rules are not warranted, and the bill allows the secretary to extend the emergency rule for up to 60 days at a time. Also, the bill specifies that the work search requirement does not apply to a claimant who has been laid off but DWD determines that the claimant has a reasonable expectation to be recalled to work.

Who's behind it

7 senators are its authors⁠. All 7 are Democrats.

29 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.

What it would cost

State agencies filed a cost estimate. Each opens as a PDF from the Legislature.

• Fiscal Estimate From DWD