SB840 - Modifying unemployment benefits

1 Co-Sponsor

The purpose of this bill is to modify the calculation of the taxable wage base and modify eligibility for and amount of unemployment benefits, to modify the methodology for calculating maximum benefit rate, to modify the benefit table consistent with adoption of indexing, to require Workforce West Virginia Commissioner take certain actions to verify the unemployment insurance claim program integrity, to require the commissioner to review suspicious or potentially improper claims under certain circumstances, to define "state average unemployment rate," to limit the maximum duration of unemployment benefits based on the state average unemployment rate, require Workforce West Virginia to promulgate legislative rules, establish an internal effective date; reduce maximum benefit for each wage class; require work search activities to qualify for unemployment benefits; define what constitutes work search activities; mandate submittal of proof of work search activities; providing for verification of work search activities; to grant commissioner of Workforce West Virginia discretion in verification of work search activities; mandate establishment of process to refer individuals seeking unemployment benefits to job opportunities; require individuals receiving referrals to suitable work to apply for and accept that work; mandate employers to report refusal of offer of employment to commissioner; allow individuals who accept part-time non-suitable employment to receive unemployment benefits without reduction for wages under certain circumstances; exempting certain individuals applying for or receiving unemployment benefits from work search requirements; establish a process for notification of work search activity requirements; require rulemaking; set internal effective date; and remove a chart column made incorrect by adoption of indexing.