2015 -- S 0184

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- EMPLOYMENT SECURITY--

BENEFITS

     Introduced By: Senator Christopher S. Ottiano

     Date Introduced: February 05, 2015

     Referred To: Senate Labor

     (by request)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 28-44-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-44 entitled

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

     28-44-14. Waiting period. -- (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this

section, the waiting period of any individual shall be either:

      (1) Seven (7) consecutive days, commencing with the Sunday of the week in which the

claimant filed a claim for benefits, during which that individual is totally unemployed due to lack

of work; or

      (2) Seven (7) consecutive days, commencing with the Sunday of the week in which the

claimant filed a claim for benefits, during which that individual is employed less than full time

due to lack of work and during which he or she has earned remuneration for services performed

in an amount less than his or her weekly benefit rate; provided, that no waiting period credit can

be given in either case if a disqualification has been imposed with respect to the whole or any

portion of that seven (7) day period under § 28-44-12 or §§ 28-44-16 -- 28-44-21.

      (b) No waiting period shall be given to any individual unless he or she has filed a valid

claim in accordance with regulations adopted as prescribed.

      (c) Benefits shall be payable to an eligible individual only for those weeks of his or her

unemployment within a benefit year which occur subsequent to one waiting period, which shall

be served at any time during the benefit year.

      (d) No period of total or partial unemployment shall be counted towards an individual's

required waiting period if, with respect to any portion of that period of unemployment, benefits

have been paid under the employment security or temporary disability insurance acts of any other

state or of any similar acts of any foreign government, or if benefits have been paid under the

Temporary Disability Insurance Act of this state or under any similar acts of the United States.

There shall be no waiting period for any individual transitioning from temporary disability

insurance benefits from any other state or foreign government or if benefits have been paid under

the temporary disability insurance Act of this state or under any similar acts of the United States.

      (e) In the event that an individual's unemployment is due to a natural disaster or state of

emergency, there shall be no waiting period.

      (f) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no waiting period shall be in effect

from the date of enactment of this article through June 30, 2009.

     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 eliminate the waiting period for individuals transitioning from temporary

disability payments from any other state or foreign government or payments paid from the state

of Rhode Island or the government of the United States to unemployment benefits.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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