Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause the following:
‘Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the number of individuals about to enter temporary unemployment in the State is due to increase dramatically, based on cyclical data from the Department of Labor; and
Whereas, the provisions in this legislation provide additional relief for individuals entering temporary unemployment with a definite recall date from their employer; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §1192, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2007, c. 352, Pt. C, §1, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1192, sub-§12, as amended by PL 2011, c. 645, §3, is further amended to read:
Sec. 3. 26 MRSA §1192, sub-§13, as amended by PL 2017, c. 117, §5, is further amended to read:
Sec. 4. 26 MRSA §1192, sub-§14 is enacted to read:
Sec. 5. 26 MRSA §1192, last ¶, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 645, §5, is amended to read:
For purposes of subsections 2, 3, 12 and 13, "good cause" means the unemployed individual is ill; the presence of the unemployed individual is required due to an illness of the unemployed individual's spouse, children, parents, stepparents, brothers or sisters, or relatives who have been acting in the capacity of a parent of either the unemployed individual or the unemployed individual's spouse; the unemployed individual is in attendance at the funeral of such a relative; the unemployed individual is observing a religious holiday as required by religious conviction; the unemployed individual is performing either a military or civil duty as required by law; or other cause of a necessitous and compelling nature, including child care emergencies and transportation emergencies. If an unemployed individual has completed reemployment services and eligibility assessment with the Department of Labor within the prior 5 years, that individual is considered to have good cause for not participating in reemployment services and eligibility assessment under subsections 12 and 13. "Good cause" does not include incarceration as a result of a conviction for a felony or misdemeanor.
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
LABOR, DEPARTMENT OF
Employment Security Services 0245
Initiative: Allocates one-time funds for the cost of making computer programming updates to implement changes to the eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits.
| FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
|
All Other
|
$71,200 |
$0 |
|
 |
|
| FEDERAL EXPENDITURES FUND TOTAL |
$71,200 |
$0 |
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.’
This amendment strikes and replaces the bill. It creates an exemption from the eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits dealing with work search for an individual otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits when that individual has been temporarily laid off with a definite recall date for a period of 6 weeks during that temporary layoff, as long as the individual remains in contact with and is able and available to work for that employer. Use of this exemption beyond 6 weeks total in a benefit year requires approval by the Department of Labor.
The amendment limits the area in which an individual must be able and available to work to a geographic area that is not more than 35 miles from the individual's residence, and it limits the reemployment services and eligibility assessment requirements to individuals who have not completed those requirements in the prior 5 years. It also adds an emergency preamble and clause and an appropriations and allocations section.