BILL REQ. #:  H-2204.1 

Read first time 03/01/2005.   Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

     AN ACT Relating to making adjustments to improve benefit equity in the unemployment insurance system; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that the unemployment insurance system, created to set aside unemployment reserves to be used for the benefit of persons who are unemployed through no fault of their own and to maintain purchasing power and limit the social consequences of unemployment, is falling short of its goals by failing to recognize the importance of applying liberal construction for the purpose of reducing involuntary unemployment, and the suffering caused by it, to the minimum, and by failing to provide equitable benefits to unemployed workers. The legislature intends to reinstate the requirement for liberal construction of the unemployment insurance laws and to make adjustments in the unemployment insurance system to allow improvements in benefit equity.