By: Parker H.B. No. 3153
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to unemployment compensation modernization.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 201.011(1), Labor Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 201, Labor Code, is
  amended by adding Section 201.013 to read as follows:
         Sec. 201.013.  DEFINITION OF BASE PERIOD; ALTERNATE BASE
  PERIODS.  (a)  For purposes of this subtitle and subject to this
  section, an individual's base period is the four consecutive
  completed calendar quarters, prescribed by the commission, in the
  five consecutive completed calendar quarters preceding the first
  day of an individual's benefit year.
         (b)  For an individual precluded because of a medically
  verifiable injury or illness from working during a major part of a
  calendar quarter of the period that would otherwise be the
  individual's base period under Subsection (a), the base period is
  the first four calendar quarters of the five consecutive calendar
  quarters preceding the calendar quarter in which the illness began
  or the injury occurred if the individual files an initial claim for
  benefits not later than 24 months after the date on which the
  individual's injury or illness began or occurred.
         (c)  For an individual who does not have sufficient benefit
  wage credits to qualify for benefits under the computation of the
  base period as provided by Subsection (a) or (b), the base period is
  the four most recently completed calendar quarters preceding the
  first day of the individual's benefit year.
         SECTION 3.  Section 204.022(a), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (a)  Benefits computed on benefit wage credits of an employee
  or former employee may not be charged to the account of an employer
  if the employee's last separation from the employer's employment
  before the employee's benefit year:
               (1)  was required by a federal statute;
               (2)  was required by a statute of this state or an
  ordinance of a municipality of this state;
               (3)  would have disqualified the employee under Section
  207.044, 207.045, 027.051, or 207.053;
               (4)  imposes a disqualification under Section 207.044,
  207.045, 207.051, or 207.053;
               (5)  was caused by a medically verifiable illness of
  the employee [or the employee's minor child];
               (6)  was based on a natural disaster that results in a
  disaster declaration by the president of the United States under
  the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
  (42 U.S.C. Section 5121 et seq.), if the employee would have been
  entitled to unemployment assistance benefits under Section 410 of
  that act (42 U.S.C. Section 5177) had the employee not received
  state unemployment compensation benefits;
               (7)  was caused by a natural disaster, fire, flood, or
  explosion that causes employees to be separated from one employer's
  employment;
               (8)  was based on a disaster that results in a disaster
  declaration by the governor under Section 418.014, Government Code;
               (9)  resulted from the employee's resigning from
  partial employment to accept other employment that the employee
  reasonably believed would increase the employee's weekly wage;
               (10)  was caused by the employer being called to active
  military service in any branch of the United States armed forces on
  or after January 1, 2003;
               (11)  resulted from the employee leaving the employee's
  workplace to protect the employee from [family violence or]
  stalking as evidenced by:
                     (A)  an active or recently issued protective order
  documenting [family violence against, or] the stalking of, the
  employee or the potential for [family violence against, or] the
  stalking of, the employee; or
                     (B)  a police record documenting [family violence
  against, or] the stalking of, the employee; [or]
                     [(C)     a physician's statement or other medical
  documentation that describes the family violence against the
  employee that:
                           (i)     is recorded in any form or medium that
  identifies the employee as the patient; and
                           (ii)     relates to the history, diagnosis,
  treatment, or prognosis of the patient;
         (11-a)  was due to family violence, verified by reasonable
  and confidential documentation, which causes the employee
  reasonably to believe that the employee's continued employment
  would jeopardize the safety of the employee or of any member of the
  employee's immediate family;
               (12)  [resulted from a move from the area of the
  employee's employment that:
                     (A)     was made with the employee's spouse who is a
  member of the armed forces of the United States; and
                     (B)  resulted from the spouse's permanent change
  of station of longer than 120 days or a tour of duty of longer than
  one year;]
               (13)  was caused by the employee being unable to
  perform the work as a result of a disability for which the employee
  is receiving disability insurance benefits under 42 U.S.C. Section
  423; or
               (14)  was [resulted from the employee leaving the
  employee's workplace] due to [care for] the [employee's terminally]
  illness [spouse as evidenced by a physician's statement] or
  disability of a member of the employee's immediate family [other
  medical documentation, but only if no reasonable, alternative care
  was available].
         (b)  For the purpose of this section, if an employee's last
  separation from the employment of an employer is a separation for
  which the employee was determined to have been disqualified under
  Section 207.048, the employee's last separation from the employment
  of that employer is considered to be the next later separation from
  the employment of that employer.
         (c)  Except as provided by law, evidence regarding an
  employee described by Subsections (a)(11) and (11-a) may not be
  disclosed to any person without the consent of the employee.
         (d)  For purposes of Subsections (a)(11), (11-a) and (14):
               (1)  "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 71.004, Family Code.
               (2)  "Stalking" means conduct described by Section
  42.072, Penal Code.
               (3)  "Reasonable documentation" includes:
                     (A)  a statement supporting recent family
  violence from a qualified professional from whom the employee has
  sought assistance such as a counselor, shelter worker, member of
  the clergy, attorney, or health worker;
                     (B)  an active or recently issued protective order
  documenting family violence against the employee or any member of
  the employee's immediate family or the potential for family
  violence against the employee or any member of the employee's
  immediate family; or
                     (C)  a police record documenting family violence
  against the employee or any member of the employee's immediate
  family.
               (4)  "Member of the employee's immediate family" means
  a spouse, a parent, or a minor child under the age of 18.
               (5)  "Illness" means a verified illness which
  necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer
  than the employer is willing to grant leave.
               (6)  "Disability" means a verified disability which
  necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer
  than the employer is willing to grant leave.  A disability may be
  mental or physical; permanent or temporary; or partial or total.
         (e)  Benefits may not be charged to the account of an
  employer, regardless of whether the liability for the chargeback
  arises in the employee's current benefit year or in a subsequent
  benefit year, if the employee's last separation from the employer's
  employment before the employee's benefit year was or would have
  been excepted from disqualification under Section 207.052(b).
         SECTION 4.  Section 207.021, Labor Code, is amended by
  adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
         (d)  An individual is available for work for purposes of
  Subsection (a)(4) even if the individual is available only for
  part-time work.  For purposes of this Subsection part-time work is
  at least 20 hours per week.
         SECTION 5.  Section 207.145(c), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (c)  Notwithstanding any other provision of 
  [Disqualification for benefits under] this section, [for] an
  individual who left work to accompany [move with] the individual's
  spouse shall not be disqualified for benefits if the move: [from the
  area where the individual worked continues for not less than six
  benefit periods and not more than 25 benefit periods following the
  filing of a valid claim as determined by the commission according to
  the circumstances of the case.]
               (1)  was to a place from which it is impractical for
  such individual to commute; and
               (2)  was due to a change in location of the spouse's
  employment.
         SECTION 6.  Section 207.045(d), Labor Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         (d)  Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an
  individual who is available to work may not be disqualified for
  benefits because the individual left work because of:
               (1)  a medically verified illness of the individual;
  [or the individual's minor child;]
               (2)  injury;
               (3)  disability;
               (4)  pregnancy; or
               (5)  an involuntary separation as described by Section
  207.046.[; or]
               [(6)     a move from the area of the individual's
  employment that:
                     (A)     was made with the individual's spouse who is
  a member of the armed forces of the United States; and
                     (B)     resulted from the spouse's permanent change
  of station of longer than 120 days or a tour of duty of longer than
  one year.]
         SECTION 7.  Section 207.045(e), Labor Code, is repealed.
         SECTION 8.  Section 207.046, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         (a)  An individual is not disqualified for benefits under
  this subchapter if:
               (1)  the work-related reason for the individual's
  separation from employment was urgent, compelling, and necessary so
  as to make the separation involuntary.
               (2)  the individual leaves the workplace to protect the
  individual from [family violence or] stalking as evidenced by:
                     (A)  an active or recently issued protective order
  documenting [family violence against, or] the stalking of[,] the
  employee or the potential for [family violence against, or] the
  stalking of[,] the employee;
                     (B)  a police record documenting [family violence
  against, or] the stalking of[,] the employee; [or]
                     [(C)     a physician's statement or other medical
  documentation that describes the family violence against the
  employee that:
                           (i)     is recorded in any form or medium that
  identifies the employee as the patient; and
                           (ii)     relates to the history, diagnosis,
  treatment, or prognosis of the patient; or]
               (2-a)  the individual's separation from employment was
  due to family violence, verified by reasonable and confidential
  documentation, which causes the individual reasonably to believe
  that the individual's continued employment would jeopardize the
  safety of the individual or of any member of the individual's
  immediate family;
               (3)  the individual's separation from employment was
  due to the illness or disability of a member of the individual's
  immediate family [leaves the workplace to care for the individual's
  terminally ill spouse as evidenced by a physician's statement or
  other medical documentation, but only if no reasonable, alternative
  care was available].
         (b)  Except as provided by law, evidence regarding an
  employee described by Subsections (a)(2) and (2-a) may not be
  disclosed to any person without the consent of the employee.
         (c)  In this section:
               (1)  "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
  Section 71.004, Family Code.
               (2)  "Stalking" means conduct described by Section
  42.072, Penal Code.
               (3)  "Reasonable documentation" includes:
                     (A)  a statement supporting recent family
  violence from a qualified professional from whom the individual has
  sought assistance such as a counselor, shelter worker, member of
  the clergy, attorney, or health worker;
                     (B)  an active or recently issued protective order
  documenting family violence against the individual or any member of
  the individual's immediate family or the potential for family
  violence against the individual or any member of the individual's
  immediate family; or
                     (C)  a police record documenting family violence
  against the individual or any member of the individual's immediate
  family.
               (4)  "Member of the individual's immediate family" 
  means a spouse, a parent, or a minor child under the age of 18.
               (5)  "Illness" means a verified illness which
  necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer
  than the employer is willing to grant leave.
               (6)  "Disability" means a verified disability which
  necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer
  than the employer is willing to grant leave.  A disability may be
  mental or physical; permanent or temporary; or partial or total.
         SECTION 9.  This Act is not subject to discontinuation
  throughout the period federal funding is provided to the commission
  to carry out the implementation and administration of the
  provisions of this Act.  Notwithstanding any conflicting
  interpretations made by the courts or by the United States
  Department of Labor of what constitutes permanent law, this Act
  will not extend beyond the period of time that federal funding under
  the Assistance for Unemployed Workers and Struggling Families Act,
  Title II of Division B of Public law No. 111-5, enacted February 17,
  2009, has been exhausted for implementing and administering the
  provisions of this Act.  Once federal funding has been exhausted for
  implementing and administering the provisions of this Act, the
  commission shall inform the governor and legislature.  Immediately
  thereafter, the provisions relating to unemployment insurance
  coverage revert back to the pre-existing statutes.
         SECTION 10.  This Act applies only to eligibility for
  unemployment compensation benefits based on a claim that is filed
  with the Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date
  of this Act.  A claim filed before the effective date of this Act is
  governed by the law in effect on the date the claim was filed, and
  the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 11.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2009.