Posted: | April 3, 2020 05:13 PM |
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From: | Representative Barbara Gleim and Rep. Francis X. Ryan |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Expanding the Unemployment Compensation Department Under an Emergency Disaster Order |
Over the last two weeks, we have received hundreds of complaints and concerns from constituents regarding Governor Wolf’s order to close all non-life sustaining businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, without taking into consideration the obvious increase in unemployment compensation filings. The current Administration waited for Federal Stimulus monies to arrive, before hiring an additional 100 employees for the L&I Department to handle unemployment compensation claims. The timeline between the enactment of the emergency order and the increase in support has created a secondary health crisis by not paying our laid-off workers in a timely fashion, thrusting these Pennsylvanians into poverty. This is morally unconscionable and the process needs to be changed. We intend to introduce legislation that will make the expansion of the Department of Labor and Industry’s Unemployment Compensation Department an automatic process upon the enactment of an Emergency Disaster Order under Title 35, commensurate upon need. Our legislation will provide security and peace of mind to unemployed workers, due to no fault of their own, that they will be able to file and receive payment in an expeditious way during a statewide emergency disaster. Please consider cosponsoring this important legislation. |
Introduced as HB2393