Bill

HB 931

84(R) - 2015
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
Senate Natural Resources & Economic Development
Labor

Vote Recommendation

Yes
  • Neutral
  • Neutral
  • Positive
  • Positive
  • Neutral

Author(s)

Jim Murphy

Co-Author(s)

Paul Bettencourt
Judith Zaffirini

Bill Caption

Relating to an individual's eligibility to receive unemployment compensation benefits on the individual's waiting period claim.

Fiscal Notes

A fiscal note dated April 23, 2015 anticipates no fiscal implication to the State or units of local government.

Bill Analysis

House Bill 931 would amend Section 207.021 of the Labor Code related to unemployment compensation benefit eligibility conditions.

It would allow that an individual is eligible to receive benefits during the individual's waiting period claim if the individual has been paid benefits in the individual's current benefit year equal to or exceeding 2 (instead of 3 currently) times the individual's benefit amount and the individual has returned to full time employment after being totally or partially unemployed for at least seven consecutive days or has exhausted the individual's regular benefits for the current benefit year, other than benefits applicable to the waiting period.

Vote Recommendation Notes

Under current law, unemployment benefit payment of an individual's waiting period claim can be made to this individual after three weeks of unemployment benefits received. This might encourage some individuals to either stay unemployed later than they otherwise would or not to report a return to work.

House Bill 931 aims at encouraging unemployed individuals to find a job more quickly by reducing the period of unemployment benefits after which an individual is paid the individual's waiting period claim from 3 to 2 weeks and requiring that the individual either has returned to full-time employment after being completely or partially unemployed for at least 7 consecutive days, or has exhausted the individual ’s regular benefits for the current benefit year, other than benefits applicable to the waiting period.

House Bill 931 encourages personal responsibility by giving an incentive to unemployed individuals to focus on finding a new job quickly instead of relying on unemployment benefits. It also reduces the scope of government by encouraging people to rely more on themselves than government and keeping unemployment benefits a safety net instead of making it an entitlement program. We support House Bill 931.

Senator Bettencourt is the second chamber sponsor of this legislation.