Legislation that would add restrictions on unemployment benefits passed the West Virginia Senate and will now be considered by the House.
Senate Bill 2, sponsored by Sen. Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, would change the length of time in which a person can collect unemployment based on the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the months comprising the previous quarter of the most recent calendar year.
If the state has an unemployment rate below 5.5%, a person could only receive benefits for 12 weeks. The length of time a person would be eligible for benefits would increase by one week for every 0.5% the unemployment rate goes up. The maximum number of weeks a person could be eligible for unemployment would be 20 weeks. The current rule allows a person to maintain eligibility for 26 weeks.
The legislation passed the chamber 20-14 with support from most Republicans and opposition from Democrats. According to the fiscal note, the bill would cost the state $5,000.
Senate bill 3, which was also sponsored by Takubo, would impose specific job search requirements to receive unemployment benefits. The bill passed the chamber 23-11 with support from Republican leadership and opposition from Democratic leadership.
Under the bill, a person would need to perform four specific job search requirements per week. The applicable activities include, among other things, registering at a job placement office, filling out applications with employers that have openings, taking a civil service exam or attending job fairs. If legislation becomes law, a person could lose eligibility for benefits if he or she does not complete the requirements. Current law requires a person to search for jobs, but does not include specific requirements.
The legislation would also allow a person who receives part-time, non-suitable employment to continue receiving unemployment benefits under certain circumstances.
Both bills will now be considered by the House. If they pass the House and are signed by the governor, they would go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. Both chambers of the legislature have Republican supermajorities and Gov. Jim Justice is a Republican.
