By Nicole Maxwell
A House committee unanimously approved a bill seeking to waive the one-week waiting period for unemployment insurance applicants in the event of a declared disaster or emergency.
“People who are getting standard unemployment are required to go one week without benefits before payments begin. People getting disaster unemployment assistance must be unemployed for at least one week, but they get compensated for that week,” bill sponsor Rep. Joseph Sanchez, D-Alcalde, said Wednesday during the House Government Elections and Indian Affairs Committee.
State public health emergencies do not fall under the bill’s purview. However, state unemployment insurance law already covers public health emergency employment issues.
The bill goes to the House floor next.