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:

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

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

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

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

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

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

shall:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

the director determines that:

      (1) The individual has completed those services; or

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

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

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

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

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

     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

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

work search requirements associated with collecting unemployment insurance benefits.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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