SRC-AMY S.B. 981 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 981 78R5879 KSD-DBy: Brimer Business & Commerce 4/17/2003 As Filed DIGEST AND PURPOSE Currently, an individual is disqualified for unemployment benefits if that individual is unemployed due to a labor dispute at another workplace that is owned or operated by the same employer and supplies materials or services necessary to continue operation of the place last employed. As proposed, S.B. 981 deletes language disqualifying an individual for benefits for a benefit period in which the individual's unemployment is caused by a labor dispute at certain places. This bill also protects an individual from disqualification for benefits when that individual has been locked out of the individual's place of employment or has been placed on emergency leave without pay by the individual's employer. S.B. 981 also provides that paying regular union dues does not constitute financing a labor dispute. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 207.048, Labor Code, by amending Subsections (a), (b), and (f) and adding Subsection (g), as follows: (a) Deletes the disqualification for benefits for a benefit period in which the individual's total or partial unemployment is caused by a labor dispute at certain places. Makes nonsubstantive changes. (b) Includes as an exception to disqualification for benefits under this section an individual who can satisfactorily prove to have been locked out of the individual's place of employment or to have been placed on emergency leave without pay by the individual's employer. (f) Defines "lock out." Makes nonsubstantive changes. (g) Provides that the payment of regular union dues does not constitute financing a labor dispute, for the purposes of Subsection (b). SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2003.