HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1454

BYRepresentatives Wang and Belcher

Changing requirements for qualification for unemployment compensation relating to marital status or domestic responsibilities.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (9)

      Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisher, Jones, R. King, Patrick, Sanders, Sayan and Walker.

House Staff:Karen Haynes (786-7779)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 16, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Washington's unemployment insurance law provides that claimants are not disqualified from unemployment benefits for leaving work voluntarily if it is for good cause.  Until 1977, Washington had no special provisions relating to individuals who left work voluntarily because of marital status or domestic responsibilities.  The courts had held that compelling personal reasons, such as moving to an area where the individual's spouse was employed, was included within the meaning of good cause.  In 1977, the unemployment compensation statutes were amended to specifically deny benefits to claimants who left work voluntarily because of marital status or domestic responsibilities.  However, these claimants may requalify for benefits by obtaining bona fide work and earning wages of at least the suspended benefit amount for at least five weeks or actively seeking employment for ten weeks.

SUMMARY:

Individuals who leave work for compelling personal reasons related to their marital status or domestic responsibilities will not be considered to have left work voluntarily without good cause.  The special requalifying provisions for these individuals are deleted.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 13, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Mike Ryherd, Joint Council of Teamsters.

(NEUTRAL):  Graeme Sackrison, Employment Security Department.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The current law causes problems for spouses who do not have job opportunities in the rural areas where their spouses relocate.

(NEUTRAL):  Passage of the bill would return the marital disqualification for unemployment compensation to its status in 1977, before the present disqualification was enacted.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.