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Unemployment Compensation

P Passed

P HB1339

Unemployment compensation; definition of "employment." Requires unemployment coverage for persons providing public human services, such as babysitting and health services, in the home of a welfare recipient when such coverage is required under the Federal Unemployment Tax Act.

Patron - Byron

P HB1340

Unemployment compensation; Workforce Development Training Fund. Creates the Workforce Development Training Fund to provide or expand training and retraining opportunities for the Commonwealth's workforce. The Fund may be used for specific purposes related to training and retraining of workers, including providing grants to local workforce investment areas designated under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The Virginia Workforce Council shall establish the procedures, criteria and performance measures for the Fund and shall report to the Governor annually regarding its findings.

Patron - Byron

P HB1464

Employment training and unemployment compensation; conformity with federal law. Changes references to the federal Job Training Partnership Act to the federal Workforce Investment Act.

Patron - Bolvin

P SB612

Workforce Development Training Fund. Creates the Workforce Development Training Fund to provide or expand training and retraining opportunities for the Commonwealth's workforce. The Fund may be used for specific purposes related to training and retraining of workers, including providing grants to local workforce investment areas designated under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998. The Virginia Workforce Council shall establish the procedures, criteria and performance measures for the Fund and shall report to the Governor annually regarding its findings.

Patron - Wampler

P SB779

Unemployment compensation benefits. Increases the maximum weekly unemployment benefit from $230 to $268, effective retroactively to November 28, 1999. The maximum weekly benefit is currently scheduled to increase from $230 to $232 effective July 1, 2000. Employees will not have to serve a statutory waiting week for benefits if the employer terminated operations, closed its business, or declared bankruptcy without paying final wages earned. Former employees whose work requires shift work shall not be deemed unavailable for work if the individual is currently enrolled in one or more classes of education related to employment or is continuing in a certificate or degree program at an institution of higher education, provided that such enrollment only limits the employee's availability for work in one shift and the employee is otherwise available to work any other shifts. The bill has an emergency clause, and is effective retroactive to November 28, 1999.

Patron - Hawkins

F Failed

F HB764

Unemployment compensation; benefit eligibility conditions; drug use prohibited. Requires applicants for unemployment compensation to sign statements declaring that (i) their last employment was not terminated due to illegal drug use; (ii) they have not used illegal drugs within the 90-day period preceding the claim for benefits; (iii) they will not use illegal drugs at any time while receiving unemployment compensation benefits; and (iv) they acknowledge current law disqualifies them from receiving any further benefits if they fail a drug test or screen required in connection with an offer of suitable employment.

Patron - Day

F HB1369

Textile Workers Relief Act of 2000. Provides a state Medicaid program and additional unemployment benefits for displaced Virginia workers in high-unemployment areas. The Board of Medical Assistance Services is directed to develop the State Program for Displaced Virginia Workers to provide at least 24 months coverage for individuals and their families who are eligible for NAFTA transitional adjustment assistance. For displaced workers whose residence or last place of employment is in a locality with an unemployment rate of 10 percent or greater as of January 1, 2000, the weekly unemployment benefit amount is increased by 43 percent, with a maximum weekly benefit amount of $332. The current maximum is $232. Displaced employees in high-unemployment localities do not have to serve a statutory waiting week for benefits, and those former employees in industries requiring shift work shall not be deemed unavailable for work if enrolled in higher education, provided that such enrollment only limits the employee's availability for work in one shift and the employee is otherwise available to work any other shifts. The bill has an emergency clause, and the Medicaid and unemployment benefits shall expire on July 1, 2003.

Patron - Armstrong

F HB1523

Unemployment compensation; Virginia Workforce Incentive Program. Creates the Virginia Workforce Incentive Program, administered by the Virginia Employment Commission, to reimburse employers for expenditures incurred in providing employment for eligible workers. An eligible employee is a person who (i) had resided in a city or county with a unemployment rate that exceeds 10 percent; (ii) is hired as a full-time employee by an eligible employer for a position located at least 60 miles from his residence; and (iii) was unemployed and was either receiving unemployment benefits or had exhausted eligibility for such benefits when he was hired by an eligible employer. The bill applies only to employees hired on or after January 25, 2000. To be eligible for reimbursement of the reasonable and necessary actual costs of meals, transportation and lodging incurred as a direct consequence of the eligible employee's employment, the employer must hire eligible employees for full-time positions in a locality with an unemployment rate that is less than five percent. In addition, the expenses must have been incurred as a bona fide inducement to recruit the eligible employees. Expenditures eligible for reimbursement include any amount expended by the employer in reimbursing the employee, provided that the reimbursement rates do not exceed those applicable to reimbursement of state employees for similar travel expenditures. The weekly reimbursement amount for any employee is capped at the amount of weekly unemployment benefits for which the employee would have been eligible. In addition, an employer shall not be reimbursed for more than 26 weeks of eligible expenses incurred with respect to any eligible employee in any year. Generally, covered employers required to pay assigned or experience rated unemployment insurance taxes are required to pay a contribution to the Virginia Workforce Incentive Fund. This contribution is equal to eight percent of each employer's unemployment insurance tax rate, and a reduction equal to this contribution shall be credited to the employer's unemployment tax obligations.

Patron - Wagner

F SB303

Unemployment compensation benefit eligibility criteria; waiting week. Eliminates the requirement that an employee be unemployed for one week before he is eligible for benefits.

Patron - Reynolds

F SB509

Additional unemployment compensation benefits. Establishes an additional unemployment benefit for individuals who (i) have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits; (ii) are not eligible for the supplemental trade readjustment allowances (TRA) payable under the federal Trade Act; and (iii) live in or had their last place of employment in a locality with an unemployment rate of 10 percent or more. The weekly amount of the additional benefit is the same as under the regular benefit schedule, and the total benefit is the weekly amount multiplied by the number of weeks the individual was eligible for regular benefits, not to exceed 26 weeks.

Patron - Reynolds

F SB659

Unemployment compensation; Employment Opportunity Expansion Fund. Creates the Employment Opportunity Expansion Fund to provide or expand employment opportunities for the Commonwealth's workforce. The Fund may be used for specific purposes related to training and retraining of workers and creation of jobs throughout the Commonwealth. Generally, employers required to pay unemployment insurance taxes are required to pay a contribution to the Fund equal to four percent of each employer's unemployment insurance tax rate, and a reduction equal to this contribution shall be applied to the employer's tax rate.

Patron - Wampler

C Carried Over

C HB794

Unemployment compensation fund; holding account refunds. Establishes a process to limit the growth of the Unemployment Trust Fund balance above $1 billion. A holding account is established, into which moneys in the clearing account shall be deposited. Such funds currently are credited directly from the clearing account directly into Virginia's account in the federal Unemployment Trust Fund. If Virginia's balance in the Trust Fund is less than $1 billion, the moneys will be paid into the Trust Fund as is currently required. However, if the Trust Fund balance exceeds $1 billion, the moneys will stay in the holding account until the Trust Fund balance falls below $1 billion or the balance in the holding account reaches $50 million. If the Trust Fund balance falls below $1 billion first, money from the holding account will be transferred to the Trust Fund to restore the balance to such level. If the balance in the holding account reaches $50 million first, that amount, less the costs of administering the refund, shall be refunded to the employers who paid into the fund during the period the Trust Fund balance topped $1 billion, on a pro rata basis.

Patron - Wagner

C HB955

Unemployment compensation benefits; second claim for TRA enrollees. Creates an exception to the requirement that, as a condition of receiving unemployment benefits, an individual must have worked during 30 days for 240 hours subsequent to the beginning of the immediately preceding benefit year during which he received benefits. The exception applies to individuals who are enrolled in training approved under the federal Trade Act of 1974. Currently, such persons may be barred from making second benefit claims. The bill also includes an exception to prevent the employer from being responsible for benefit charges as a result of benefits being payable under the exception for individuals enrolled in training approved under the federal Trade Act of 1974.

Patron - Jackson

C HB1443

Unemployment compensation; weekly benefit amount. Increases the maximum weekly unemployment benefit from $230 to $268, effective retroactively to November 28, 1999. The maximum weekly benefit is currently scheduled to increase from $230 to $232 effective July 1, 2000. Employees will not have to serve a statutory waiting week for benefits if the employer terminated operations, closed its business, or declared bankruptcy without paying final wages earned. Former employees whose work requires shift work shall not be deemed unavailable for work if the individual is currently enrolled in one or more classes of education related to employment or is continuing in a certificate or degree program at an institution of higher education, provided that such enrollment only limits the employee's availability for work in one shift and the employee is otherwise available to work any other shifts. The bill has an emergency clause, and is effective retroactive to November 28, 1999.

Patron - Hull