2016 -- H 7933 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - EMPLOYMENT SECURITY -

BENEFITS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Blazejewski, Carnevale, Amore, Morin, and Messier

     Date Introduced: March 11, 2016

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 28-44-12 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-44 entitled

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"Employment Security - Benefits" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     28-44-12. Availability and registration for work. -- (a) An individual shall not be

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eligible for benefits for any week of his or her partial or total unemployment unless during that

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week he or she is physically able to work full-time and be available for full-time work. To prove

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availability for work, every individual partially or totally unemployed shall register for work and

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shall:

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      (1) File a claim for benefits within any time limits, with any frequency, and in any

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manner, in person or in writing, as the director may prescribe;

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      (2) Respond whenever duly called for work through the employment office; and

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      (3) Make an active, independent search for suitable full-time work.

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      (b) If an unemployed individual has been determined to be likely to exhaust regular

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benefits and to need reemployment services pursuant to a profiling system established by the

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director, the individual shall be eligible to receive benefits with respect to any week only if the

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individual participates in reemployment services, such as job search assistance services, unless

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the director determines that:

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      (1) The individual has completed those services; or

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      (2) There is justifiable cause for the individual's failure to participate in those services.

 

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     (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title to the contrary, individuals with a

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definite return-to-work date that is within twelve (12) weeks of their last day of physical work, as

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certified by their employer on the employer separation notice provided to the department, shall be

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exempt from the work search requirements of subsections (a)(2) and (a)(3) of this section.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - EMPLOYMENT SECURITY -

BENEFITS

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     This act would exempt unemployment insurance benefits recipients who have a definite

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return-to-work date that is within twelve (12) weeks of their last day of physical work, from the

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work search requirements associated with collecting unemployment insurance benefits.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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