A group of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation last week to expand and enhance unemployment insurance benefits.
The Unemployment Insurance Improvement Act, H.R. 5507, would require states to provide a minimum 26 weeks of unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, cover part-time workers, and update wage record rules and administration standards to make benefits more accessible to applicants.
“The coronavirus pandemic caused swift and widespread economic devastation that continues to expose major weaknesses in America’s unemployment system,” said bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), who also serves as chair of Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. “Far too many American workers who lost their jobs had to wait for months as their applications moved through outdated and difficult-to-navigate systems for benefits that still are not good enough in many states. Our legislation would update and strengthen unemployment benefits, establish minimum standards for duration of those benefits, expand coverage so it reaches more of those who need help, and raise the bar to make programs more accessible.”
He is one of several sponsors, including U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Cori Bush (D-MO), and Scott Peters (D-CA).
“Our unemployment insurance system provided a lifeline to millions during the worst of this crisis, keeping many families out of poverty and helping to sustain our economy,” Sherrill said. “However, the pandemic also shined a light on the inadequacies of the current system, with administrative and accessibility barriers preventing the timely delivery of benefits to those who needed them most and making it difficult to effectively prevent fraud. This legislation makes critical reforms to modernize and streamline our outdated UI systems across the country.”
The bill has the support of 134 organizations, including the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, the Economic Policy Institute, Employ America, the National Urban League, the National Employment Law Project, the National Organization for Women, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.
“In some places in our country, nine out of every 10 jobless workers have no unemployment benefits,” Bush said. “Black and brown workers are disproportionately shut out of the very system that’s supposed to be there to help, particularly in states like Missouri where our Republican governor canceled life-saving benefits in the midst of a devastating pandemic.”
An identical bill was recently introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH).