By Senators Smitherman, Figures, Coleman, Benefield, Barron, Denton, Bedford, Little (T), Butler, Sanders, and Ross
ENROLLED, SJR68,
ENCOURAGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO AMEND THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009, TO ALLOW STATES TO ACCEPT UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS UNCONDITIONALLY.
WHEREAS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, provides "incentive payments" to states that agree to amend their unemployment compensation laws to provide more generous base-period calculations and agree to adopt less restrictive grounds for disqualifications based on availability of and applicants' search for work; and
WHEREAS, state leaders in all regions of our country are concerned regarding the federal mandate to change state unemployment compensation laws in order to receive these benefits; each individual state is best able to ascertain the appropriate method of administering its unemployment program; and
WHEREAS, it is our understanding that the purpose of the federal act is to jump start our economy; that being the case, immediate and unconditional attention should be given to unemployed American workers, who are among those hit hardest by this financial crisis; and
WHEREAS, our residents are hardworking Americans who have done nothing wrong; the current economic crisis is national and international in scope and cannot be exclusively solved at the state level; setting future benefit goals may be a worthy ideal, but instant relief is now necessary and such aid must be granted without qualifications; for the general welfare of our state and its citizens, we strongly encourage Congress to reconsider and rescind those portions of the federal law that require changes in our state unemployment compensation law in order to receive additional unemployment compensation incentives; now therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That the United States Congress is respectfully requested to immediately amend the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to allow states to accept unemployment compensation benefits unconditionally. Provisions of the act that require states to make changes to their laws concerning base-period calculations and less restrictive grounds for disqualifications in order to receive unemployment compensation incentive payments should be repealed. Copies of this resolution shall be presented to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and each member of the Alabama Congressional Delegation so that each may know of the urgency of this matter and the necessity for immediate action.