Report Title:

Unemployment Insurance

 

Description:

Extends unemployment benefits to individuals seeking part-time work and to workers separated from employment for a compelling family reason.  (SD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1568

TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Chapter 383, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new sections to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§383-    Part-time work; benefits available.  Notwithstanding any law to the contrary under this chapter, an individual shall not be denied regular unemployment benefits relating to availability for work, active search for work, or refusal to accept work, solely because the individual is seeking only part-time work; provided that this section shall not apply if a majority of the weeks of work in the individual's base period does not include part-time work.

     §383-    Separation for compelling family reason.  An individual shall not be disqualified from regular compensation for separating from employment if that separation is for a compelling family reason.

     For purposes of this section, the term "compelling family reason" means any of the following:

     (1)  Domestic violence that is verified by reasonable and confidential documentation which causes the individual to reasonably believe that the individual's continued employment may jeopardize the safety of the individual or any member of the individual's immediate family (as defined by the United States Secretary of Labor);

     (2)  Illness or disability of a member of the individual's immediate family (as defined by the United States Secretary of Labor); or

     (3)  Need for the individual to accompany the individual's spouse, because of a change in the location of the spouse's employment, to a place from which it is impractical for the individual to commute to work."

     SECTION 2.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2009.