By: Seliger  S.B. No. 859
         (In the Senate - Filed February 16, 2009; March 9, 2009,
  read first time and referred to Committee on Economic Development;
  March 24, 2009, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 5,
  Nays 0; March 24, 2009, sent to printer.)
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to initial claims under the unemployment compensation
  system.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 208.002, Labor Code, is amended to read
  as follows:
         Sec. 208.002.  [NOTICE OF] INITIAL CLAIM; LAST WORK.
  (a)  When used in connection with an initial claim, "last work" and
  "person for whom the claimant last worked" refer to:
               (1)  the last person for whom the claimant actually
  worked, if the claimant worked for that person for at least 30 hours
  during a week; or
               (2)  the employer, as defined by Subchapter C, Chapter
  201, or by the unemployment law of any other state, for whom the
  claimant last worked.
         (b)  The commission shall mail a notice of the filing of an
  initial claim to the person for whom the claimant last worked before
  the effective date of the initial claim. If the person for whom the
  claimant last worked has more than one branch or division operating
  at different locations, the commission shall mail the notice to the
  branch or division at which the claimant last worked.
         (c) [(b)]  Mailing of a notice under this section to the
  correct address of the person, branch, or division for which the
  claimant last worked constitutes notice of the claim to the person.
         SECTION 2.  The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
  a claim for unemployment compensation benefits that is filed with
  the Texas Workforce Commission on or after the effective date of
  this Act. A claim filed before that date 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 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2009.
 
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