Regular Session 2021-2022 House Resolution 0053 P.N. 0513

PRINTER'S NO. 513

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

No.

Session of

2021

INTRODUCED BY SIMS, SANCHEZ, BENHAM, KINSEY, HILL-EVANS,

HANBIDGE, McNEILL, DALEY, HOWARD, FIEDLER, NEILSON, DEASY,

A. DAVIS, DeLUCA, LEE, OTTEN, ISAACSON, O'MARA, WEBSTER,

CIRESI, WARREN AND MADDEN, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 17, 2021

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Establishing a special bipartisan, bicameral legislative

commission to study challenges in the Pennsylvania

unemployment compensation system and issue a report with its

findings and recommendations.

WHEREAS, Swift delivery of unemployment compensation benefits

is essential in providing a financial lifeline to Pennsylvanians

who have lost jobs during the COVID-19 disaster emergency; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's unemployment rate currently exceeds

8% during the COVID-19 pandemic, and unemployment compensation

benefits have been a vital financial resource for hundreds of

thousands of Pennsylvanians who are out of work through no fault

of their own; and

WHEREAS, More than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have applied

for unemployment compensation benefits since the beginning of

this pandemic, and as of December 5, 2020, the average number of

new weekly claims exceeds 40,000; and

WHEREAS, As of October 2020, nearly 70,000 unemployment

compensation claims remain pending in the unemployment

compensation system, and thousands of claimants have waited

weeks or months as the Department of Labor and Industry attempts

to examine and process an unprecedented number of claims while

investigating attempts at fraud; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation system has

demonstrated an inability to handle the sudden substantial

influx in claims, with many claims remaining unresolved; and

WHEREAS, Identifying and ameliorating stumbling blocks

causing delays within the unemployment compensation system

serves both claimants and unemployment compensation examiners in

accelerating the processing of claims, increasing the efficiency

of the unemployment compensation system and releasing department

resources to combat fraud; and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth's efforts to promptly deliver

benefits to qualified claimants has been hindered by outdated

systems, an insufficient number of staff and a high volume of

claims; therefore be it

RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly

establish a special bipartisan, bicameral legislative commission

to study the delivery of unemployment compensation benefits to

claimants in this Commonwealth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission develop reports to include

background information into matters relevant to this resolution,

make recommendations for the improvement of the unemployment

compensation system and propose legislation in furtherance of

its recommendations; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission shall consist of the following

members:

(1) The Attorney General or a designee;

(2) The Auditor General or a designee;

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(3) The State Treasurer or a designee;

(4) The Secretary of Labor and Industry or a designee;

(5) The Executive Deputy Secretary of Labor and Industry

or a designee;

(6) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Labor and Industry Committee of the Senate or designees;

(7) The chairperson and minority chairperson of the

Labor and Industry Committee of the House of Representatives

or designees;

(8) The Deputy Secretary for Unemployment Compensation

Programs or a designee;

(9) The Deputy Chief Counsel of the Unemployment

Compensation Division or a designee;

(10) The chairperson of the Unemployment Compensation

Appeals Board of Review or a designee;

(11) The director of the Office of Unemployment

Compensation Service Centers or a designee;

(12) The director of the Office of Unemployment

Compensation Benefits Policy or a designee;

(13) Six administrators of regional unemployment

compensation service centers;

(14) The Deputy Treasurer for Fiscal Operations or a

designee;

(15) The executive director of the Pennsylvania Budget

and Policy Center or a designee;

(16) The chairperson of Philadelphia Legal Assistance or

a designee;

(17) The executive director of Community Legal Services

or a designee; and

(18) The executive director of the National Employment

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Law Project or a designee;

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission may hold informational meetings

to hear testimony from experts and others with knowledge of this

subject; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee

provide staff support to the commission and assist with the

final report; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission issue an initial report of its

findings and recommendations to the General Assembly no later

than six months after the adoption of this resolution, with the

issuance of a final report no later than one year after the

issuance of the initial report; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the members of the commission shall serve

without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary

and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their

duties; and be it further

RESOLVED, That reasonable expenses incurred by the commission

be equally divided between the Senate and the House of

Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the approval of the chairperson and minority

chairperson of the Labor and Industry Committee of the Senate

and the chairperson and minority chairperson of the Labor and

Industry Committee of the House of Representatives, by action of

a majority of members of the committees, shall be required to

preauthorize all proposed actions of the commission which will

entail the expenditure of State funds and shall also be required

to approve all expenditures, including expense reimbursement

requests of commission members, prior to payment.

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